Artist's Rendition
by The Hodge Podge Kid
Summary: An odd assignment catches the Slifer gang off guard. Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley try to help their other friend Niko, who is less than willing to accept help from anyone. What's Niko's secret? And what does Zane have to do with anything?
1. The Assignment

Here's my first story. Read and review, please! Let me know what you think, and try not to flame me too bad?

By the way, I will not be able to update this story until Monday or Tuesday. I know a week's a long time, but issues came up.

Me:I Spellcaster Swear that I will update regularly!

Zane:Sure you will.

Me:Meanie!! Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

"This is the stupidest assignment I've ever heard of!" Jaden smiled at Niko's remark. Syrus jumped, but Chumley just rolled his eyes.

"I mean, come on! I can understand drawing one of our Duel Monsters, but drawing another student?! This is ridiculous!"

Niko, who had been standing with her arms crossed, was pouting for all she was worth.

She unfolded her arms, and lay down on the ground with a huff. Their art teacher, vicious as he was, had yet to decide how the students would choose their drawing subjects. Those were his words. Exactly.

Supposedly no one was supposed to know who was drawing him or herself. _Even better_, Niko thought. She sighed in annoyance.

"I thought you liked to draw, Niko. You told me it was totally licious(1)." She turned her head to glare at him. He shut up immediately.

"I love to draw, but I suck at drawing people. I mean faces, hands, and proportions! I suck when it comes to stuff like that." She sighed again, this time resignation. She rolled over, before she quickly pushed herself off the ground.

Syrus looked at his PDA, checking an assignment. He suddenly looked like he'd swallowed a bottle of Chumley's dad's hot sauce.

"Apparently, we have to draw someone from a dorm different than ours." Niko looked at him for a moment, before she burst into a fit of giggles.

She ignored the fact they were in the middle of the school square. A group of Obelisk boys walking by glared at her, but they went completely unnoticed.

She kept laughing as Alexis, Mindy, and Jasmine approached. Niko watched Syrus' face as she laughed, and as she saw how grim he was, her laughter died away. She feigned a sob as she fall onto her back.

The three Obelisk girls looked at the girl laying spread eagle on the ground. Mindy looked she was going to say something, but Niko sat up and glared at her. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Need something?" Any remorse was wiped from her face as she arched an eyebrow. Mindy closed her mouth, but glared anyways.

Mindy and Jasmine both turned to Jaden and winked at the same time. Niko rolled her eyes, but decided to be civil.

"Have you three heard of the new art assignment?" They nodded, but grinned. Niko leaned back, apparently disturbed. Chumley, who had gotten a grilled cheese sandwich out of his bag, tried not to laugh at Niko's expression.

"This assignment was obviously given to us for a reason. I just haven't figured out how it will help our dueling skills." Niko's eyes widened at Alexis' statement. Syrus shook his head sadly.

"And we get to draw cute boys!!" Mindy and Jasmine squealed. Niko smirked maliciously, about to tell the news Syrus had delivered. Her smile widened as she closed her mouth, deciding against what she was going to do.

"Anyways, we wanted to ask you if wanted to help us raise money for a new set of furniture in the girls' dorm lounge." Niko narrowed her eyes, skepticism bubbling up.

"What's wrong with the old furniture?" Mindy waved her hand, dismissing Niko's comment.

"It's like, so last year's design. I mean, do they really, like, expect us to use last year's furniture?" Niko grabbed her phone, and began writing a text message.

"It's like, so wrong to put us through this torture!" Niko's PDA began ringing. She opened it, and showed the message to Syrus and Chumley.

_Need an excuse to stop talking to these airheads? Here's one!_

They smirked. Niko stood, followed by the others, Jaden in confusion.

"Sorry, girls, but we've got to go. Banner needs some help back at the Slifer dorm. Hey, maybe if you have some money left over you can help us fix the insulation in the Slifer dorm. Later!!"

She walked briskly towards the Slifer dorms, her friends jogging to keep up.

The Next Day At Classes

"Class, settle down!! For the last time Chazz, foot rubs are to be given before or AFTER class!! Niko, put the Coca-Cola away! We can listen to your Woody Woodpecker impression later!"

The teacher took a deep breath, straightening his jacket before he grabbed a set of hats off the desk. One was red, the next yellow, and the last red.

"You are now going to draw names of the students that you're going to draw." Niko groaned, and slid deeper in her seat. The teacher glared at her.

"Niko, would you kindly sit straight in you chair?" She frowned, but did as she was told.

"While waiting to draw a name, prepare the materials you'll be needing for today's exercise."

Obelisks drew from the yellow hat, Ras drew from the red hat, and Slifers drew from the blue hat.

Niko propped her head up with her arm, and poked Jaden in the ribs. He turned to her. She smirked, and revealed her Coca-Cola. Jaden nudged Syrus, who in turn poked Chumley in the back, who sat in front of them. They all nodded, and silently cheered her on.

Niko proceeded to chug the drink, careful not to get any on her red blazer. After a few sips, the bottle was empty.

Niko turned towards the recycling bin next to the teacher's desk. With a flick of her wrist, the bottle hit the edge, and bounced in. The noise caused the teacher to jump. He almost dropped the blue hat he was holding, and turned to glare at his students.

"WHO THREW THAT?" No one responded. Niko hiccuped. It didn't register with the teacher. Niko took several deep breaths.

"Ha-Ha-Ha-HA-Ha! Ha-Ha-Ha-HA-Ha! Ha-Ha-Ha-HA-Ha! HE-He-HE-He-HE-He-HE-He-HE-He!" Niko finished her Woody Woodpecker impression with a smirk.

The teacher looked like he was about to blow a gasket. He walked up to Niko, and thrust the hat into her face. She smiled calmly, entering her sugar-caffeine Zen. She drew a name.

Once the teacher walked away, she opened it, and read it, forgetting the despair she had for the assignment earlier.

_Zane Truesdale_

Niko felt the despair and worry hit with twice the force of before. Her blood froze. Jaden looked at her quizzically. She paid no attention to him or to Syrus and Chumley.

"Oh, God no," she spoke under her breath. _Anyone but him. Please! I didn't mean it when I said I hated this assignment before! _She felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. She closed her eyes, praying it was a dream.

She opened them again, to see she was still in the classroom, and that it wasn't a dream.

Either that, or she was stuck in the nightmare for good. _Oh, do I despise this assignment now!_ Before Jaden could look at the paper, she wadded it up in her hands, and shoved it into her pocket.

And she prayed for a lightning bolt to strike her down where she sat.

* * *

(1) I think this is the way to spell Chumley's trademark word.

(2) It was IMPOSSIBLE to figure out spell Woody Woodpecker's laugh. I hope this is how it's spelled.

* * *

Me:Tell me what you think and please review!!

Zane:Why exactly don't you want to draw me?

Me:Blushing I have my reasons.

Jaden:(Snickers) Busted.

Me: (smacks Jaden) Shut up!

Zane:(smirks, but frowns) You still haven't answered my question.

Me:(Evades Zane's gaze) Please review!!


	2. Realization

Here's the next chapter! Ta-da! Sorry it took an extra day, but issues came up. Thankfully, they've been taken care of!

Please review, and tell me what you think. I like constructive criticism. As much as any human can, anyways.

Jaden - She really does like reviews.

Alexis - A little to much, if you ask me.

Me - (glares) Did anyone ask you?

Alexis - (a bit shocked) No...

Zane - What pissed you off?

Me - N-n-nothing...

Jaden - She just jealous that-

Me - (Claps hand over Jaden's mouth) Please read and review! Enjoy!

* * *

"So, who're you gonna draw, Niko?" Jaden's question was meant in good spirit, but Niko's glare told him that it wasn't being taken that way.

"C'mon Niko, tell us!" Niko shook her head adamantly when Syrus asked. Jaden frowned at her answer, but perked up.

"Hey, did I tell you I'm drawing Chazz?" Jaden said this loud enough for a couple of other students to hear. Some snickered, while others shook their heads pessimistically.

Niko, who had been enjoying her water, sent a spray across an unfortunate Obelisk boy, who was just walking by, and his jacket. He glared at Niko as she coughed up more water from her lungs.

"Nice going, Slacker! Look what you did to my uniform!" Niko glared, and managed to catch her breath.

"It's water. It'll come out, ya big baby!" Niko raised her voice a notch higher than the Obelisk's. He was slightly taken aback.

Several heads turned, including Zane's and Alexis', who had been discussing field spell cards for some odd reason. Didn't they already know enough about dueling to not need to discuss it?

The Obelisk stormed off, while Niko tried to control her breathing. She shook her head several times to clear it and its contents. She paused, and looked at Jaden. She raised an eyebrow.

"How did you manage to draw his name?" Jaden shrugged. Niko smiled mischievously. "I bet you'll have fun drawing his hair." Jaden nodded his head, turning himself into a human bobble head. Syrus and Chumley laughed beside them.

Niko sighed again. She had all the materials, but her stomach churned at the thought of making a drawing of Zane. She fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. Syrus looked at her worriedly. Niko shrugged.

"Syrus, who're you drawing?" Niko's face remained calm as she asked the question. Syrus blushed slightly. He shuffled the notes in his hands, keeping his head bent. He mumbled slightly.

"Who?" Chumley was standing next to him, and even he didn't hear him. Syrus blushed even more, and tried in vain to glare at the rest of them.

"Jasmine!" Niko's face remained blank for a moment.

A soft, mysterious smile crept onto Niko's face. She nodded in approval, much to Syrus' surprise. She smirked at his look.

"It'll take a lot of talent to make Jasmine look pretty in a drawing." She made a mock salute. "I salute you, sir!" Jaden started laughing hysterically. Niko eyed him as he laughed. She arched an eyebrow.

"You didn't happen to have a bar of chocolate, did you?" Jaden turned to her, laughter ceasing. He smiled sheepishly, and nodded, much to Alexis' amusement. Niko turned at the sound of her laughing.

Niko eyed her suspiciously. She also saw Zane, and had to beat down a blush. She continued to glare at Alexis out of the corner of her eye. Niko watched as Syrus seemed to become even smaller than he already was, due to his brother's presence.

Any butterflies, stomach knots, blushes, stutters, and anything else cliché that she could think of at the moment disappeared in a burst of anger. She turned to Syrus, and gave him a smile. He seemed to perk up a bit, or as much as he could with his older brother standing there.

"What was all that commotion about earlier?" Niko rolled her eyes, and looked at her wearily. She gestured off towards the double doors that led into the main building, exactly where the Obelisk had stormed off.

"Ask the jackass who went that way." She raised her eyes to the sky in thought, temporarily leaving the group. Chumley, as always, freaked out when she did this. He pulled a grilled cheese sandwich out of his book bag and started munching on it.

Zane watched Niko as she did this, and noted how her amethyst eyes seemed to turn a shade darker than their regular hue. Her hair seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

Niko blinked. She turned to Chumley, and giggled at the way he was eating his sandwich. He paused to glare at her. He took a deep breath, and finished off his sandwich. Niko turned to Alexis.

"What were we talking about?" Alexis glared at her. Niko shrugged. She tugged on her blue topaz ponytail, yet another thing that Zane noticed.

She shoved her hands into her pockets. Her fingers curled around the crumpled piece of paper. Niko took in a breath, and decided to listen to her inner Zen.

She smiled at Zane, ignored Alexis, and walked off to the Slifer dorm, turning on her iPod, her friends following close behind.

She might as well accept destiny, even if it was only for a little while.

* * *

Me - Wow, that wasn't as painful as I thought it would be!

Jaden - So you are happy about drawing him!

Me - (Blushes) No I'm not!!

Zane - Why is that exactly?

Me - No reason!

Syrus - Jeez Zane, even I can see the reason.

Zane - (Looks at Syrus) And what does that mean exactly?

Me - It means that Syrus has an overactive imagination.

Zane - (Smiles, but is still in deep thought)

Me - Don't worry, I will update this story within four days, I mean it! And Spellcaster Swear is a valid promise, believe it or not.

Zane - Don't make promises you can't keep.

Me - (Blushes and sighes) Why do I feel like I'm in over my head? Please review!


	3. Let The Drawing Begin

Wow!! It's finally done! Thank the kamis!

Zane - Do you have to be so dramatic?

Me - Yes.

Zane - (glares slightly, but sighs) How is the drawing coming?

Me - (chuckles sheepishly) It's coming.

Zane - Oh joy.

Please read and review!!

* * *

"Niko, are you sure you're alright?" Syrus' face was etched with worry. Chumley and Jaden were keeping an eye on Niko as well. Niko turned and looked at all three of them.

She laughed at the genuine concern on their faces. She couldn't help it. She smiled openly now.

"Why would you need to worry about me? I'm as happy as a clam!" Their faces showed that they didn't believe her. Using a cliché like that didn't help her case. She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. You guys have nothing to worry about." Chumley made a face.

"The way you keep snapping or glaring at Alexis says different," he said. Niko looked at him blankly for a moment, hanging her head. Syrus patted her back a little, trying to comfort her. Niko sighed.

"I'm just a little tired, that's all." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She rubbed her eyes, before letting out a small hum. "Crowler's really been piling on the homework, as everyone knows." Jaden frowned.

"You're usually able to handle the homework load..." He let his sentence trail off. Niko shook her head.

"It's the detention," she replied nonchalantly. Chumley frowned.

"What detention?" Niko smirked at his comment, her energy revived. She lifted her eyes up to the ceiling, and tapped her chin in thought. Her amethyst eyes had a glint of dark silver in them. Her blue topaz hair seemed as blue as the sky now, maybe with a hint of clouds.

"Oh, I don't know," was her singsong answer. She looked each of them in the eye in turn. She was barely able to contain her glee.

The three boys were almost at unease at how she didn't seem quite so tired anymore.

"It might have been the detention he gave me for catching two backpacks full of grasshoppers, and letting them loose in his dorm room. " Niko smirk dissolved into a pile of giggles as she held her sides. She gasped, taking a breath.

"You should have heard him! He opened his door, and screamed like a girl!" Niko's smile made her look like the Cheshire Cat's sister. She started to talk again.

"He took off both of his shoes, and slammed the door. Then all you could hear were these thumping and whacking noises inside!"

Jaden cracked first. His snickering made Syrus giggle, which made Chumley start guffawing, his belly shaking slightly.

The four Slifers sat there, laughing until they cried.

"A tad immature, wouldn't you say?" Bastion said. He stood behind Niko with his arms crossed. Niko twisted to look at him. Chumley, Syrus, and Jaden turned to him, as well.

Niko's face had become completely somber. She looked Bastion up and down, considering what he'd said for a moment or two. Her eyes were now almost completely silver, amethyst a trace color.

She couldn't control her laughter anymore. She had to hold her sides as she swayed back and forth. Everyone else, aside from Bastion, of course, followed suit. Bastion looked at them incredulously, before sitting down on the bench behind them.

He sighed. Stopping his current train of thought, as long as it was, he looked at the bench underneath him, and at the rest of the group.

"Why aren't any of you sitting on the bench?" They stopped laughing, and looked at him oddly. Niko looked at him blankly again, while she came up with an answer.

"Silly. The ground is more comfortable, don't cha know?" Niko gave him a crooked smile. She took in a deep breath, and wiped her eyes. She closed them, and seemed to be bracing herself for something. She opened her eyes, then, and reached into her bag.

Bastion eyed her as she pulled out her sketchbook. Attached to it was a small metal case with red enamel. Niko took a pencil out of it, and opened the worn book. Bastion raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you need a photograph of the student you'll be drawing?" Niko looked up suddenly, blushing. She ducked her head, her bangs covering her face. She shook her head firmly.

"Nah," was all she said. Bastion closed his eyes as he shook his head, while Syrus tried to look at the blank page. Niko hugged it to her chest, hiding it from Syrus. He frowned.

"You haven't even started the drawing yet!" he complained. Niko narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Then that should tell you just how little I want you to see this drawing!" Syrus huffed, and pulled out his own sketchbook and set of pencils. His case, however, was colored a faint robin's egg blue.

"Well, fine, then. I won't let you see my drawing." Niko tried not to laugh at his stubbornness. She stuck her tongue out at him when he turned to glare at her.

"I already know who you're gonna draw," she started, "and you'll want to know our opinions on your drawing before you turn it in!" Syrus glowered at her for a moment, before turning away and starting his drawing.

Niko blinked twice. She quickly took away his pencil, holding it just in front of him. He looked at her, still mad. Her face was serious, though, not mocking like he'd expected.

"Don't draw angry." Syrus sighed, took a deep breath, and gently took back the pencil. He paused, however, and didn't start his drawing. Niko sighed as well. She made sure she had everyone's attention.

"I'll show you my drawing when it's done, but not until then," she said as she looked at each of them. She stopped at Syrus. "Got it?" They all nodded excitedly, Bastion not quite sure why.

Chumley, Jaden, and Bastion pulled out their art supplies as well. Like Syrus, they had photos. Niko watched everyone from under her bangs. She smiled softly.

"Let the drawing begin."

* * *

Ah, the smell of victory!

Jaden - What does victory smell like?

Me - Like chocolate, duh!

Jaden - Mm, chocolate.

Syrus - Do you have any chocolate.

Me - Maybe.

Jaden - (puppy eyes) Can I have some? Pleeease?

Me - Ahh! Too cute! Fine, we can all have chocolate. (Hands some to Zane and Bastion, too)

Bastion - You three are wierd.

Chumley - Don't I get chocolate?

Me - Of course!

Thanks for reading, and if you review, you get chocolate!! I'll update soon!


	4. The Fight

Here's my new chapter! Yahoo! Oh, wait that's a search engine XD

Anyways, this chapter has links to drawings! I wanted to show the drawings the characters made. Just copy these drawings into your browsers address bar and remove the spaces. The story-format document doesn't like website links. Sorry!!

There will be more drawings later one.

Zane - That's actually a good idea.

Me - Thanks! Hey, wait!

Please review!

* * *

"Hey, Niko! Look!" Niko watched as Jaden ran up to where she was sitting on a bench. She sighed, closed her sketchbook, and put it aside. She straightened her Capris and her jacket.

"Watcha need?" she asked. She had a small smile on her face, and her hand was resting on her sketchbook. She held a pencil between the fingers of that hand. Jaden stopped running and held out his sketchbook. Niko leaned forward. Her smile widened to a full-blown grin.

(Here's the drawing of Chazz. cyberdragondancer. deviantart. com/art/Does-Chazz-Care-At-All-95539116)

"Awesome drawing, Jay!" Jaden smiled even wider. His eyes fell on Niko's sketchbook. He looked at her knowingly.

"Still not done yet?" It was more of a statement than a question. Niko chuckled nervously as Chumley ran up to them. He actually ran. Seriously.

"Guys, you have to hurry!" His statement was shaky, his breath coming in heaves. "You have to help!" Niko stopped any other train of thought, and stood. Her things were already tucked into her bag, and the strap of her book bag was across her chest.

"What's wrong?" Jaden's voice was a few notches louder than when he had addressed Niko. Chumley gestured behind him, still short of breath.

"It's Syrus."

* * *

They ran as fast as they could. Chumley had explained in three-word sentences that Syrus was by the Obelisk dorms, and was currently being beaten to a blue and red pulp.

Niko felt a jab in her side. She looked down as she continued to run, but saw nothing. Syrus' pain was carrying over.

Niko sprinted.

She halted outside the Obelisk boys' dorm. She saw exactly what she'd never wanted to think about in her life...

Syrus was curled into a ball, while two Obelisks continued to kick him in the sides. He covered his head with both hands, trying to curl back into himself.

Jaden and Chumley had finally caught up. Niko didn't notice, or didn't really care.

She could see Zane and Alexis talking to Crowler, completely ignoring the scene. Her blood boiled, and her head throbbed. She stormed forward, ignoring Jaden's and Chumley's warnings.

She walked up to the Obelisk with the blue buzz cut. She shoved him, getting his attention.

When he turned towards her completely, she grabbed him by his collar, and threw him against the nearest wall. Suddenly the surrounding area was quiet. Now the scene was interesting. Niko could hear Crowler muttering.

The Obelisk's feet were clear off the ground. Niko had ignored the fact she was a good three inches shorter than him. She heard Alexis saying something to Zane, but ignored that as well. She happened to be very good at ignoring things.

"What the hell's your problem?" The Obelisk yelled as best he could. Niko's hold on him was beginning to choke him. She glared at him. He squeaked when he saw her eyes change from amethyst to ash grey. She leaned in close, not blinking.

"You won't touch him, or any other Slifer on this campus, unless you want to have an untimely end. Got it?" He glared at her. Niko lifted him higher off the ground. He began to squeal out an apology. She dropped him rather roughly.

Niko calmly took a step back, and turned around. She knelt by Syrus, who was crying softly. She rubbed his back and touched his shoulder gently.

Zane watched as she helped Syrus up. She also made sure that Chumley and Jaden were able to support him as he tried to walk. The other Obelisk, whom Niko hadn't bothered with, began muttering something.

Niko spun around, and swinging from her hip, punched him in the nose, knocking his glasses off his face, and messing up his shoulder length wavy teal hair. He fell to the ground. Niko stood over him, with a leg on either side of him. She glared down at him.

"Say something intelligent now," she spat after a solid 10 seconds.

Niko turned away, walking with Chumley, Jaden, and Syrus to the infirmary.

* * *

The four Slifers stumbled into the infirmary. Ms. Fontaine looked up from the patient she was attending to. She looked alarmed and hurried over.

"My goodness, what happened?" She ushered Syrus over to a bed. He sat down stiffly. Chumley and Jaden sat down near him, but Niko stood a small distance away. She paced only slightly, and kept her arms folded against her chest. The patient whom Ms. Fontaine had been attending to watched the group from where he sat.

The patient waited for Ms. Fontaine to leave to get more bandages. He stood up, and walked over. Niko watched him for a moment, but rolled her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Woah, Sy. What in the heck happened to you?" Atticus looked Syrus up and down, taking in his bruised appearance. Syrus shook his head slightly. His face still had faint tear stains. Chumley looked at Atticus from the chair he sat in.

"He was cornered by two Obelisks," Chumley said. "They were saying something about how he needed to stay away." Niko watched the group, her eyes still an ash grey. She stood next to Atticus.

"They weren't in charge." Everyone gave her funny looks. She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "They weren't the ones who planned to beat you up," she elaborated. "They were just hit men." Syrus fidgeted uncomfortably. Niko kept her gaze steady.

"What did they say to you, Syrus?" He continued to squirm, despite his injured condition. Niko narrowed her eyes. "Syrus?" Her voice had an edge to it.

"They told me to stay away from Obelisks like Alexis, that she didn't want to be bothered by me." Niko's eyes widened. Her brain put the pieces together.

She walked over to a chair, and collapsed into it, laughing hysterically. She placed a hand over her face. Everyone looked just as confused as before. She sighed, taking a breath.

"Chazz thinks that you're drawing Alexis," she explained, "and there's no doubt that he's jealous. So he wants to make sure that you aren't able to draw her." Jaden looked from her to Syrus and back.

"But Syrus is drawing Jasmine." Niko burst into giggles when he stated the obvious again. She sighed, and stood.

"Oh, now I feel a little better. Now I'm really going to enjoy kicking Chazz's ass, and maybe Zane and Crowler's, too." Syrus frowned at the statement.

"But how do you know it was Chazz? And what did Zane and Crowler do?" Syrus asked. Niko crossed her arms again, but mostly because she didn't want them hanging at her sides.

"Those were Chazz's flunkies and Jasmine is a friend of Alexis. He thinks you were looking at Alexis, not at her friend. As for Zane and Crowler, it's mostly because they didn't do anything at all." She frowned again. Atticus smirked.

"But I thought you liked Zane. I don't think beating him up would help your relationship." Niko shrieked at his comment and tried to tackle him, just as Ms. Fontaine came in.

"Niko! Atticus is injured! You need to leave him alone, or leave the infirmary!" Niko settled down, and everyone watched as Syrus was bandaged and cleaned up.

* * *

The four Slifers and the Obelisk walked down the walkway. Niko turned to Atticus.

"Why were you in the infirmary anyways?" Atticus rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he laughed sheepishly.

"Well, you see...On the beach, my fangirls-" Niko raised her hand, cutting him off. She eyed him suspiciously.

"You were putting on a surfing show and you flopped. Your fangirls were worried and Ms. Fontaine just 'happened' to be there." Atticus nodded. He seemed a bit shocked at how Niko knew that. Niko shook her head at his expression.

"Your fangirls are the only thing predictable about you." Atticus sighed and folded his hands behind his head, happily taking in a breath of the fresh air. He turned to Niko.

"Seriously, though. When are you going to admit you like Zane?" Niko's face turned bright scarlet, almost matching her Slifer uniform. She glared indignantly.

"For the last time, I DON'T like him, especially after today." Chumley frowned. He tapped Niko's shoulder, getting her attention.

"He's the one who told me to come and get you." Niko blanked. She thought for a moment.

Still blank. Atticus laughed at her expression.

"I think we finally stumped her." She glared at Atticus, her ash grey eyes still filled with confusion. She shook her head in disbelief. Chumley nodded.

"I'm dead serious Niko." He raised his right hand. "I swear that if I'm lying, I'll never eat a grilled cheese sandwich again." Niko sighed. Atticus eyed her bag. He looked her in the eyes.

"Hey, did you finish your drawing?" Niko shook her head. Atticus grinned. "I bet you did," he said in a singsong way. He grabbed her bag, and pulled out the sketchbook. Jaden and Chumley held Niko back by her arms. Atticus stopped, wide-eyed, as he stared at the page. He turned to Niko.

"Good grief, Niko," he said. "How in the heck do you do that?" He handed the sketchbook to Syrus. He held it out so Chumley and Jaden could see it. Their eyes widened.

(Here's the drawing of Zane. cyberdragondancer. deviantart. com/art/Zane-Chooses-Distance-95487462)

"Wow. I think you captured his essence," Syrus said. Niko rolled her eyes.

"What, with the small glare?" Syrus nodded. Jaden turned to Niko.

"Good job on the eyes." Niko nodded with understanding and gratitude. She smiled happily. She looked at all her friends.

"Thanks guys." Chumley and Jaden let her go and they all walked back to the Slifer cafeteria. After all, does Atticus seem like the type to be picky about his food?

* * *

Tell me what you think, drawings included. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Zane - You never take criticism well.

Me - Sure I do!

Bastion - Technically he was just criticizing you now, and you didn't take that well.

Me - (O-o) Now that's a paradox.

Jaden - What's a paradox?

Me - Nevermind.

Please review!


	5. The Truth

Yayyy!! New chapter!

Zane - Must you always get so excited?

Me - Must you always be so negative?

Zane - (glares)

Anyways, please read and review. Comments of any kind are welcome!

* * *

Niko smiled to herself and hummed a small tune. She felt like she finallyhad some time to herself. All her friends were busy, much to her surprise.

Chumley, Syrus, and Jaden were eating and telling ghost stories with Professor Banner in the Slifer cafeteria. Again. Atticus, Zane, and Alexis were off at an Obelisk party somewhere. Not that she cared. Why should she?

Bastion, of course, was repainting his room again, keeping a much closer eye on his deck this time around. Jaden, Syrus, and Niko had offered to help, but he had gently turned them down, insisting he could handle it by himself.

Niko decided to go where she had never had the heart to go to before. _The lighthouse_. She'd never wanted to bother Zane when he was there, and Niko didn't like the idea of having a run-in with Alexis. She was curious, though, about what Zane saw when he stood out there.

Niko quickened her pace, leaving the Slifer dorm behind. She looked around as she walked. Her face showed that she was more than a little peeved.

She hadn't seen _him_ in at least a week. She was disappointed that he'd disappeared. In fact, now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen any of them over the past week. Niko sighed quietly. It occurred to her that she missed talking to them. She stopped walking suddenly.

Her thoughts reversed direction: what was she thinking? She could talk to her friends any time she pleased. Why did she feel she needed to talk to _them_? She mentally slapped herself.

"Why are you slapping yourself?" Niko jumped, then noticed the penguin at her feet. He looked up at her with wide, crafty eyes. Niko realized, absentmindedly, that she'd actually slapped herself. Her forehead still stung.

"Benji!" she hissed at Penguin Soldier. "Where have you been? I was worried! Where have _all_ of you been?" Benji shrugged. He looked down, and adjusted his sword belt.

"We've been around." He looked up at her and gave her a goofy grin, catching her off-guard. The smile lifted the weight of worry off her heart. Benji looked away, in the direction of the lighthouse, before turning back to look at her.

"Just wanted to let you know that we're fine, and we'll check on you again in a little while." Niko rolled her eyes, and threw her hands up helplessly.

"Since when am I the one who needs to be watched?" Benji gave her a knowing look.

"Since you're the one who lost control, threw a guy against a wall, and knocked another guy into next week." Niko rolled her eyes, failing to hide her obvious pride.

"I did that to protect my friend! His brother was there and didn't do a goddamn thing!" Benji turned away again, folding his wings across his chest. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You still don't know why Zane sent for you instead of taking care of it himself, do you?" Niko glared at him, but said nothing.

"He did not send for me!" Benji chuckled. Her blush didn't go unnoticed. He looked at her again, and shrugged.

"He sent for you to make sure that your reputation would be a little more solid. He's defended his brother before. He's in a higher position now, and sent for someone to take care of it for him." Benji pulled out his sword. He examined it for a moment, then put it back in its sheath.

"He trusted that you would take of the job, and kick some ass." He smiled again, and tilted his head. "Syrus is almost healed, isn't he?" Niko crossed her arms, and looked away.

"His bruises are still bothering him, mostly on his right side. Aside from that, yeah, he's fine." She turned and looked him in the eye. "And don't think I didn't catch the implication that I'm below Zane!! I went only because I care about Syrus!" She took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

She bent down and picked up Benji. She gave him a quick hug, and placed him back down.

"Thanks for letting me know that you're okay." She smiled. Her eyes had a glint of blue in them, revealing her happiness. Benji nodded and smiled too, before walking in the direction of the Slifer dorms.

Niko watched him leave, shaking her head as he disappeared. She continued walking in the direction of the lighthouse.

* * *

Niko tried to contain her excitement as she approached the lighthouse. She examined the ocean, taking in its vastness. She tilted her head back to look at the sky above her. She noticed that the lighthouse lamp was not lit, making the night perfect for her idea.

Niko swore she could see every star in the sky, right there at the pier. She lowered her head after a few moments, and rubbed her neck, sore suddenly from looking up. She glanced to either side, and grinned.

Plopping her butt down on the ground, she lay back and spread out her arms.

She looked at the sky above and around her, and hummed softly to herself.

* * *

"How did I let you talk me into this again?" Zane asked tiredly. Atticus smiled at him, putting his arm around Zane's shoulder.

"Come on, Zane, loosen up! Tonight's about partying, singing, and ladies! Even Alexis is having more fun than you!" It was true.

Alexis was off talking with Mindy and Jasmine. The three of them were watching random Obelisk boys who walked by. Atticus turned back to Zane.

"See, even she's trying to get a date. Why aren't you?" Atticus asked in a teasing tone. He was trying to make the conversation light, but he was worried that his friend wasn't behaving like a healthy human male.

Zane looked at Atticus, then Atticus' arm, which was still draped across his shoulders. Atticus removed it hastily. Zane looked ahead again, and closed his eyes.

"I'm not interested in dating, Atticus." Atticus rolled his eyes, and playfully winked at a girl walking by. He turned to Zane, who still had his eyes closed. Zane had calmly folded his arms over his chest. He was frowning slightly.

"That's what you said two years ago." He poked Zane's cheek, before hastily removing his hand, not wanting to pay the consequences. "Come on, there's gotta be _someone_ you like." Zane opened his eyes, and looked at Atticus blankly. Atticus held up his hands in mock defeat.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave it alone. Besides, I need to go tease my sister." Zane shook his head, a small smirk on his face. Atticus thought his look was almost condescending.

"She seems to be doing just fine without you." Atticus turned and looked at Alexis. Sure enough, she was chatting with a boy from Obelisk Blue. Both seemed pretty interested in the conversation. Atticus stuttered.

"B-b-but I didn't introduce them, or even approve him!" Zane rolled his eyes. He rose, and stood next to Atticus.

"Am I still needed here?" Zane asked. Atticus shrugged.

"Up to you. All I know is I need to go help my sister!" He marched over to where Alexis was.

Zane shook his head and went to the door, deciding it was best not to look back.

* * *

Lying on the pier, Niko stretched her arms as wide as she could. She wiggled her fingers and closed her eyes for a moment. Listening to the water hitting the pier, she felt her worries drifting away. Even the ones music couldn't help. For once, she was grateful for solitude.

"What are you doing here?" someone asked. Niko's eyes snapped open. She sat up quickly and saw Zane staring down at her. She hoped her blush didn't show. Shrugging, she looked away. Her attempt to act aloof was failing miserably.

"The view out here is great." She looked out at the ocean again and sighed. Zane looked out as well, and his tense shoulders relaxed visibly. Niko watched him out of the corner of her eye. Aware she was glaring at him, she didn't care.

"Syrus is fine, thanks for asking," she spat. It was impossible to miss the sarcasm in her voice. Zane closed his eyes, a frown settling over his features. Niko sat cross legged, not feeling the need to stand.

"Are you just going to sit, or are you going to stand up so I can talk to you?" Niko made a face, but was surprised by the sharpness of his words. She rose carefully, making sure she didn't fall.

"I thought you liked talking down at me," she grumbled quietly. Zane heard her, but decided it was best not to respond. Niko turned to him. "Well? What did you want to talk to me about?" Zane turned to her for a moment, and looked her in the eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked bluntly. Niko narrowed her eyes, but ignored any implications.

"I was feeling stressed, so I decided to come out here. It was working fine until..."

"You've never come out here before." Zane cut her off. Niko felt her face heat up, though she wasn't sure why. Turning away from him, she crossed her arms and faced the ocean.

"Do you hate me that much that you don't even want to stand next to me?" Zane's question was simple. His voice was even, so he didn't give any emotions away. Niko lowered her head so her bangs covered her eyes.

"I don't hate you Zane. I never did." Niko turned quickly, and walked past Zane, leaving the pier.

Zane watched her leave, an unreadable expression on his face.

* * *

"Niko! Where have you been?" Niko looked up, startled. She had just stepped into her dorm room. She calmed down when she saw her roommate, Alyssa, who was sitting on her bunk. Unlike Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley's room, there were only two beds in the bunk bed. Niko shrugged.

"I've been around." Alyssa rolled her eyes. She put down her iPod and reached toward the nightstand. She pulled off a note and held it out to Niko. Niko frowned. She took it carefully.

"What's this for?" she asked. Alyssa glared at the note, then at the door.

"A note from Crowler saying you have three hours of detention tomorrow." She flopped back on the bed and put her earphones back on.

"What? What for? I didn't do anything this time!" Niko yelled. Alyssa frowned too.

"He was laughing like a maniac, saying something about getting even."

"Why that little..." Niko stopped, and looked at Alyssa. She smirked. "Listening to Simple Plan again?" Alyssa stuck her tongue out.

"You like them too." She sat up, suddenly nervous. "H-how's Syrus?" Niko looked at her blankly.

"He's fine. I talked to him a few hours ago." Niko grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Why do you want to know?" Alyssa blushed deeply. Niko tried not to snicker as she sat down at her desk. Alyssa stopped glaring and watched her.

"What's wrong, aside from Crowler's detention?" Niko didn't turn around as she tapped her fingers on the desk in thought.

"Ah, nothing. Just some stuff on my mind right now." She rubbed her eyes, now an aquamarine green.

"Does it have anything to do with Zane?" Niko whipped around and glowered as Alyssa smirked. "Just teasing. But I'm serious. Did he do anything?" She gestured toward Niko's face. "Your eyes changed." Niko blinked, her eyes returning to normal.

"Thanks. No, we just talked. He's as indifferent as ever." Alyssa looked at the top bunk for a moment.

"Can I have the top bunk tonight?"

"No." Niko pulled her notebook out of her bag and eyed the cover before opening it.

"Please?" Niko sighed, and tried not to pinch the bridge of her nose. She swiveled in her seat. Her face was blank except for a tiny grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Fine. But only if you lend me a pen and pencil." Alyssa grabbed them and threw them at Niko. "Thanks." Alyssa scampered up to the top bunk.

"Got a lot of homework?" she asked plainly.

"More than you know."

* * *

Hope you liked it! I'm trying to write longer chapters to make up for my late update. Hope you enjoyed!

Review, and get a chocolate chip cookie!

Let me know what you think of my new character, Alyssa.

Alyssa - Come here Syrus.

Syrus - W-what?

Alyssa - Are the bruises still hurting?

Syrus - Y-yes.

Alyssa - Then I won't hug you. I'll wait until you get better.

Me - Aww. Isn't that sweet Zaney?

Zane - Call me Zaney again, and you'll never write another story again in your life.

Atty - Ignore them. Please review!


	6. The Duel

Hello!! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update this. I made the stupid decision to write a duel in this story. Bad, bad idea on my part.

Zane - You don't sound very sorry.

Me - I am!! Also, there are more drawings in this chapter!

Zane - Great, she's hyper again.

Anyways, just remove the spaces, and copy the addresses. They should work after that. Please let me know if they don't, and I'll fix the problem.

Me - Please read and review!

Zane - Why?

Me - Just ignore him. -.-;

* * *

"Well, what do you think?" Niko, Chumley, Jaden, Syrus, and Alyssa looked up. Bastion stood in front of them, his back straight. He held out his open sketchbook. On it was a drawing. Alyssa and Niko grabbed it, and held it so everyone could see.

Here's the drawing of Jaden. cyberdragondancer. deviantart. com/art/Jaden-Is-Finally-In-The-Loop-97181009

"Do I really look like that?" Jaden asked. Niko smiled faintly, mouthing something. Alyssa was trying not to laugh at Jaden's question. Chumley smiled, and slapped Bastion on the back.

"It's totally licious, man." Niko tilted her head playfully, and looked up at Bastion.

"It'll get you an A," she said. Bastion's smile turned into a frown as he thought. Niko grinned. "Beyond that, you did a good job trying to capture and show who this person is."

"I'm glad that all of you like it. I wanted to get an opinion before I handed it in." They all nodded in understanding. Niko turned to Syrus.

"Hey, Syrus. You never did show us your drawing of Jasmine," she pointed out. Syrus blushed, and mumbled an answer. Alyssa smiled.

"Are you sure you can't show us?" Syrus looked at her for a moment. He sighed, and pulled out his sketchbook. Niko smiled, and lightly poked Alyssa in the ribs. Alyssa tried her best to ignore her.

Syrus flipped to a page, and held it out to Alyssa. She looked at it carefully, then handed it to Niko. Jaden leaned over Niko's shoulder.

Here's the drawing of Jasmine. cyberdragondancer. deviantart. com/art/Happy-Jasmine-95794762

"Sweet!! That's an awesome drawing, Syrus!" Bastion shook his head. Syrus looked at him nervously.

"Jaden, can't you find a better way to describe this drawing than 'awesome'?" Niko handed the sketchbook to Chumley, who studied it. He then handed it back to Syrus, who gladly closed it and stuffed it back in his bag. Niko stood, and dug through her pockets. She pulled out a piece of paper, and frowned.

"Hey, do any of you guys have anything to write with?" Jaden handed her a red pen. She nodded in thanks, and began writing on the piece of paper. Alyssa eyed her for a moment, but said nothing.

"Is there anything you guys want to do today?" Alyssa asked. She looked at everyone. Chumley grinned ear to ear.

"The cafeteria is serving nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch today. We _have_ to go to that." Niko smirked. Jaden licked his lips, but then looked like he would cry.

"What about fried shrimp?" Jaden asked. Niko looked at Chumley expectantly, too. Chumley shrugged, and looked a little sad.

"They're serving that for dinner," Chumley said. Niko and Jaden pumped their fists in the air. Syrus sweatdropped.

"That's scary," he said. Alyssa nodded in agreement. Niko tapped her chin in thought.

"But what will we do until then?" Bastion looked at her incredulously.

"This is a dueling school. We could always duel, you know." Niko nodded and bent over her writing. She looked up suddenly, and groaned.

"Oh no, I forgot about my detention assignment." Alyssa frowned. Niko elaborated.

"Crowler's making me draw a landscape for my detention."

"Is he making you draw one because you're bad at drawing them or something?" Chumley asked. Niko shook her head.

"I have to do that and four hours in the detention hall." Syrus and Jaden winced. Jaden patted her on the back.

"Sorry we can't help you at all with that." Niko forced a smile.

"Not you fault. It's kind of a one-girl assignment, anyways." She stood and grabbed her bag. She walked off before anyone could ask her where she was going. Bastion looked after her. He turned to Jaden.

"Did she give you your pen back?"

* * *

Niko walked briskly toward the lighthouse. After last night, she wanted to see if there was anything worth drawing there. The darkness had hidden most of the landscape.

She quickly reached the lighthouse, and turned around. She could just see the main building of the school at the top of the hill, surrounded by the dorms.

The volcano in the background added a touch that Niko couldn't quite describe. She smiled to herself and sat down cross-legged.

Niko pulled her sketchbook out of her bag and scowled at her pencils, her eyes dark with concentration. She pulled out two, tucking on behind each ear.

Scanning the scenery for a few moments, Niko's eyes turned as blue as the sky above and the ocean around her. She immediately began her work.

"You're here again?" Niko flinched but didn't look up. She didn't need to look up to know that Zane was standing in front of her with his arms crossed as usual.

"Just working on homework," she responded plainly. She looked up slightly, in time to see Zane roll his eyes. She glared at him, then, lifting her head up to face him.

"Last time I checked, this was a public place. It certainly doesn't have your name on it or anything." Her voice had a bite to it, showing the undeniable harshness that Niko used when she tested people. Zane glared back at her.

"Everyone knows I come out here to think." Niko had to mentally force herself to hold his gaze. Zane turned away first, Niko winning the glaring contest. She crossed her arms, imitating him.

"And now they'll know I come out here to piss you off." She turned back to her drawing, trying desperately not to press her pencil too hard. She'd drawn the basic layout of the land, and was now adding plants and the school itself. The volcano still needed attention.

Niko could feel Zane next to her, and knew he was studying her drawing. Her pencil missed the line she was drawing. She pulled out her eraser. She knew he was smirking.

"Where's the volcano?" he asked condescendingly. Niko almost snapped the pencil in her fingers. Why did Atticus and everyone else think that she liked this brat?

"I wasn't that far along in the drawing yet." She spoke through clenched teeth. She put down the pencil, and folded her hands in her lap, trying to focus on something other than Zane and the landscape.

Benji began to snicker, looking from Niko to Zane. Of course the little Penguin Soldier had to appear out of nowhere to tease her. Niko ignored him, knowing that Zane thought she was crazy enough as it was. Benji hopped up on her shoulder, and patted her on the head, grinning ear to ear.

"Love at first sight. You two were meant for each other," he chuckled cheekily. He disappeared before Niko could hurt him and make herself look like a fool.

Niko turned to look at Zane. She knew he couldn't hear Benji, but she wanted to make sure just to be safe. Satisfied that Zane really hadn't heard or seen Benji, she picked up her pencil again.

She added in a rough version of the volcano, just in case Zane was watching. She looked over her shoulder carefully, pretending she was looking at the ocean.

He was watching.

If she had feathers, they would have been ruffled. Did he have to stare at her like that? It was driving her up the lighthouse.

* * *

It took Niko a good half hour to finish her drawing, with Zane watching her the entire time. When she was satisfied with the drawing, Niko realize that she had been sitting with her shoulders raised in a defensive posture.

She lowered them carefully, dreading any soreness she might soon feel. Putting her things away and standing, Niko could feel Zane's gaze. She turned and looked at him blankly. He returned the look.

"Have you dueled anyone on this island?" Zane asked. Niko narrowed her eyes and pulled her bag closer to her.

"Yes," she said in a defensive tone. Zane smirked and recrossed his arms. Niko hadn't realize that he had uncrossed them at some point.

"Did you even duel at the entrance exam?" Zane was lucky that looks didn't kill. Niko would have had him sliced, diced, skewered, and broiled if they did. She folded her arms across her chest as well, just to irritate him a little.

"Of course I was there. I think you were busy talking to Alexis, weren't you? And I don't recall seeing any Obelisks there at the duel exam, do you? It's not like they need to even pretend they worked to get in." Zane's smirk disappeared. He uncrossed his arms.

"Let's see if your mouth matches your game. I challenge you to a duel." Niko finally noticed that he had his duel disk on his arm. She unstrapped hers from her hip, and attached it to her arm. Pulling her deck from the pouch on her belt, Niko put it in her duel disk.

They stood on either side of the pier, and activated their duel disks.

**Niko – 4000 LP Zane – 4000 LP**

"Let's duel!" they shouted simultaneously. Zane and Niko each drew five cards. Zane looked at Niko with a small smile on his face.

"Let's make this interesting," he said. Niko said nothing, but continued to listen. "Whoever loses this duel owes the other a favor. The person can use this favor whenever they please." Niko stiffened slightly, but nodded.

She had an idea about what his favor would be. Ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach, Niko smirked.

"Ladies first," she said, and drew a card. She managed to hide a grin as she looked at her hand. She placed a monster card and two magic cards on her disk.

"I place Wynn The Wind Charmer in Defense Mode, and two cards Face-Down," she said with a small smile. A girl with long, flowing brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a silver Spellcaster's staff appeared with a small dragon creature by her side. "And I end my turn." Zane sighed inwardly.

**Wynn The Wind Charmer – ATK/500 DEF/1500**

"I thought you would be more of a challenge than that," he said disappointedly. Niko glared, but watched as he drew a card. He almost looked bored as he arranged his hand.

"Since I don't have any monsters on my side of the field and you do, I'm allowed to summon Cyber Dragon without a Sacrifice." Niko huffed. She'd forgotten that. She watched as Cyber Dragon materialized on the field. Zane looked at Niko, and then her monster.

**Cyber Dragon – ATK/2100 DEF/1600**

"Cyber Dragon, attack her Wynn the Wind Charmer!" he shouted. Niko held up her hand.

"Not so fast! Spell Card activate!" Zane leaned back slightly, almost surprised. "My Spell Card is Block Attack," she elaborated. "By switching Cyber Dragon to Defense Mode," she said as Cyber Dragon recoiled, "I block your attack."

Zane looked blankly at Niko, before he placed a card on his disk.

"I activate Different Dimension Capsule," he said. "This card allows me to choose one card from my deck and place it in the capsule," he said as he pulled a card from a deck, and laid it down in a capsule, which then disappeared into the ground. "In two turns, this card will go directly into my hand."

Niko was willing to bet that she knew what card Zane had put in the capsule.

"I place one card face-down, and end my turn." Niko squared her shoulders, and drew her next card. She smiled at her hand, silently thanking her cards. She looked back up at Zane, and lay a card down on her disk.

"I bring out Ancient Lamp!" A large genie's lamp with four legs appeared in front of her. Zane eyed it, but remained silent. Niko wiggled the fingers of her right hand slightly, and smiled.

**Ancient Lamp – ATK/900 DEF/1400**

"By Tributing Wynn the Wind Charmer, and one WIND monster," she gestured towards Ancient Lamp, "such as Ancient Lamp, I can Special Summon Familiar Possessed – Wynn from my hand or my deck." Niko took out her deck, and spreading it in a fan, pulled out the card she needed.

A girl with aquamarine hair and eyes stood in front of Niko. She was surrounded by a long, green dragon with faint wings.

**Familiar Possessed – Wynn - ATK/1850 DEF/1500**

Niko placed another magic card on her duel disk.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon," she said calmly. Zane watched as his face-down, Attack Reflector Unit, was destroyed.

"Wynn, attack Cyber Dragon with Raging Wind!" Wynn raised her staff, and pointed it at Cyber Dragon. Wind, the dragon around her, charged forward. It struck Cyber Dragon, shattering it.

Zane saw the Life Points meter on his disk go down. He looked up at Niko, who was giving him a goofy smile.

**Niko – 4000 Zane - 3750**

"Did I forget to mention her Special Ability? When I summon Familiar Possessed – Wynn like I did, and she destroys a monster in Defense Position with lower Defense Points, the difference gets dealt to you as damage." Zane glared at her, but Niko continued to smile.

"So sorry," she said in a slightly mocking tone. "It's your turn."

Zane drew another card and calmly arranged his hand.

"Since my field is empty again, I can summon another Cyber Dragon." An identical dragon appeared on the field. "And I play Monster Reborn to bring back Cyber Dragon from my graveyard."

**Cyber Dragon – ATK/2100 DEF/1600**

"And I play Polymerization to fuse them, and make Cyber Twin Dragon." A large, silver dragon with two heads came up behind Zane. Niko had to force herself not to take a step back.

**Cyber Twin Dragon – 2800/2100**

"Cyber Twin Dragon attack Familiar Possessed – Wynn with Double Strident Blast!" Niko watched as Wynn was destroyed. "Don't forget Cyber Twin Dragon's Special Ability!" Niko's eyes widened, and watched as Cyber Dragon's other head reared up. "Attack Niko directly!"

Niko had to fight to remain standing. She glared at her Life Point meter as it ticked down. She knew Zane was looking at her, but she didn't have the heart to look up.

**Niko – 250 Zane – 3750**

"I place on card face-down and end my turn," Zane looked at Niko. She lifted her head, and drew a card. She looked at her hand sadly.

"I play Pot of Greed," she stated quietly. Zane eyed her, worry evident on his face. A green pot with a grinning face appeared on the field. Niko drew two cards.

"You sound beaten." Niko didn't like the tone of Zane's voice. Was it her imagination, or did he sound smug?

"Well, you're wrong." Her voice was louder, stronger. Zane smiled. She still had fight left in her.

"I play Poison of the Old Man, and choose to give myself 1200 extra Life Points!" Zane nodded.

"A useful card" Zane said. Niko nodded and smiled. She held out another card before taking Familiar Possessed – Wynn off her duel disk and putting the new card in its place.

"I sacrifice Familiar Possessed – Wynn to summon Cybernetic Magician!" A tall teen boy with a white cyber-like suit with several belts and a blue and white staff. Niko smirked.

**Cybernetic Magician – ATK/2400 DEF/1000**

"By discarding one card from my hand to the graveyard, I can activate his Special Ability." Niko placed a card from her hand into the graveyard slot on her disk. "I can now lower the attack of one monster on the field to 2000 Points for the rest of the turn." She smiled at Zane, who, for some reason, still didn't look worried.

"I choose to lower the points of your Cyber Twin Dragon! Cybernetic Magician, attack Cyber Twin Dragon!" Zane smirked.

"I activate De-Fusion," Zane said calmly. "Cyber Twin Dragon is broken down, and your attack is useless." Niko frowned, confusion and bewilderment clear on her face.

"Your target was Cyber Twin Dragon, and now that it's gone, you have nothing to attack." Niko narrowed her eyes.

"I know that! I was caught off guard!" Niko's eyes widened, realizing what she'd said. Zane smiled, and had to hold back a laugh.

"You're usually not the type to admit that," he said jokingly. Niko sighed.

"Well, since my attack was useless, I activate my last card, Book of Moon, and put my Cybernetic Magician in Defense Mode. End turn." Zane watched as Cybernetic Magician crossed it's arms across it's chest and bent down to a kneeling position. He drew a card.

Suddenly, the time capsule came up out of the ground, the hole it left closing behind it.

"It's been two turns," he said calmly. "And now I can add the card in the capsule to my hand." He looked at his hand, and back at Niko. She watched him, her amethyst eyes gleaming. "You fought a good duel, Niko." Niko sighed, and looked back at him.

"You did too, Zane." Her hand was hovering over her disk. Zane saw the Face-Down Magic Card that she'd played at the very beginning of the duel. He nodded.

"I activate Power Bond, and Sacrificing the two Cyber Dragons on my field, and the one in my hand, I summon Cyber End Dragon!" Niko looked up, and saw the dragon descend. It spread its wings and all three heads lifted. She looked at the dragon in all it's glory.

**Cyber End Dragon – ATK/4000 DEF/2800 (With Power Bond ATK/8000 DEF/2800)**

"Cyber End Dragon attack Cybernetic Magician with Super Strident Blast!" Zane shouted. Niko closed her eyes and lowered her hand. Spellbinding Circle was a card she just couldn't use this duel. Cybernetic Magician stood and took the attack head on.

**Niko – 0 Zane – 3750**

"That's quite the Special Ability on a monster that strong," Niko said softly. She had fallen to her knees, the blast from Cyber End Dragon not only destroying Cybernetic Magician but hitting her with Cyber End Dragon's Special Ability.

She rose slowly, and saw Zane walking toward her. She remembered the bet they had placed on the duel. Zane now stood in front of her. She had to look up to look into his face. She smiled as best she could.

"So I guess I owe you a favor, huh?" Her arms hung uselessly at her sides. She had to work to hold the smile. "You probably don't want me to come here to the lighthouse anymore." She lowered her head. She didn't see Zane's smile.

"I have a different favor in mind," he said. Niko looked up, bewildered. She saw Zane's smile. "I get to kiss you," he said. Niko blinked.

"What?" she managed to speak. Zane continued to smile.

"You let me kiss you." He lowered his head, and pressed his lips against Niko's before she could respond. Niko didn't know how to react. Had it been any other boy, Niko would have knocked him flat on his feet.

Just as Niko felt herself about to kiss him back, Zane pulled away. She felt breathless. Zane gazed down at her, studying her face. She looked him in the eyes. Zane touched her shoulder gently. Niko tilted her head curiously, studying Zane's expression.

She held Zane's gaze. Her PDA rang. She jumped. Zane watched as she answered it. Alyssa was on the screen. Niko smiled.

"Hey Alyssa!" Zane listened, but didn't say anything. Alyssa smiled too, but it soon faded.

"Hi, Niko. We just wanted to warn you about Crowler. He's on a rampage. I think he's looking for you. You should go to his office to see what he wants. Or hide somewhere. Either works." Niko nodded.

"Thanks for the heads up." Niko smirked. "Say 'hi' to Syrus for me," she said in a singsong voice. She could see Alyssa blush over the video.

"Bye!" Alyssa said. Niko returned the word of farewell, and hung up the PDA. She sighed, and looked up at Zane. He stared back at her, waiting for her to say something. Her gaze dropped to the PDA in her hands.

She fumbled with it, moving it back and forth between her hands, then looked up at Zane again.

"I should probably see why he wants to kill me." Zane nodded. Niko smiled. "Do you want me to meet you here again?" Zane smiled only slightly, and Niko would have missed it had she not been paying close attention.

"Where else would we meet?" he said. Niko nodded thoughtfully. She stepped back and grabbed her book bag. Her gaze lingered on Zane a moment, then she turned and headed back toward the school.

"Why didn't you play your Trap Card?" Zane called after her. Niko stopped. She turned around, and looked at Zane again. She smiled and shook her head. She started walking again.

"Say something nice at my funeral," she yelled over her shoulder.

* * *

"It's about time you got here, Niko! You're late for your detention!" Niko winced at the sound of Crowler's voice as she stepped into his office.

"What did you need me to come here for? I thought I was supposed to serve my detention in the detention hall." Niko had to force herself not to frown. Crowler smiled.

"I'm willing to let you off of your detention." Niko looked at his pencil holder crammed with pens, deciding to remain silent. "If," he said. Niko looked up. "If you write a letter of apology to me." Niko glared. Crowler returned it.

"If you don't, you'll get twice as much detention as you were going to get before." Niko closed her eyes. She wiggled her fingers in thought. Opening her eyes again, they settled on the pencil holder.

"May I borrow a pen?" she finally asked. Crowler smiled. He stood, and walked over to a filing cabinet, deciding to catch up on paperwork.

"Of course, Niko. Return with the letter as soon as possible." Niko walked out of the office. Crowler turned around, placing the papers in his hands on his desk. Pleased with himself, he reached for a pen.

He started. Half the pens in his pencil holder were gone. He looked at it, baffled.

"What in the world...?"

Yes! Another chapter done!! Hope you like it, and please review! Constructive criticism is welcome, and please tell me what you thought of the duel. This is my first fanfiction, and the first duel I ever wrote.

* * *

Me - I hope that went well.

Jaden - You worry too much.

Me - I won't be able to udpate as often, seeing that school's started. Such a pain. (sighs)

Jaden and Atticus - You don't have to tell us.

Alyssa - Or me T.T

Syrus - (hugs Alyssa)

Zane and Alexis - Why don't you like school?

Me - I like what we learn in school. I just hate the teachers and how they teach. And what are you doing here Alexis?

Atticus - Be nice.

Me - I am. I managed not to yell.

Zane - What the heck are you talking about?

Atticus - She's just mad at Alexis for hanging out with you because-

Me - Don't finish that sentence if you treasure your life, and all your organs below your waist.

Atticus - Yes ma'am!

Syrus - Hey, Alyssa. Do you think it was a good idea for Atticus to call her ma'am?

Alyssa - Not really. Luckily, we hid all the sticks and forks.

Jaden - Thanks for reading!


	7. The Spy

Yay! Another chapter! Sorry it took so long to update...life's been a bit hectic with school and...life and all.

Zane: It took you long enough to update.

Me: T.T I've been busy!

Zane: Excuses, excuses.

Syrus: Just ignore them, enjoy the story, and please review!

Atty: You forgot the disclaimer! **_Kaiba'sDragonDaughter does not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX, or any of the characters in it. She does own the OC Niko._**

* * *

Hey, Niko, where have you been?" Niko looked up to see Chumley, Syrus, Jaden, and Alyssa sitting at a table. Jaden waved at her.

"We were worried you weren't going to eat lunch," he continued. Niko stopped walking a few feet from the table. She looked at Jaden with wide eyes.

"Are you insane? I'd die if I didn't eat lunch," she said. Chumley nodded in understanding. Syrus rolled his eyes, but perked up after a moment.

"Did you finish you detention?" he asked. Niko sat down next to him. She frowned and kept silent as she let her bag slide from her shoulder to the floor. Syrus instinctively shrank back. Niko looked at him.

"It's not you, Syrus," she said bluntly. He sighed in relief. Alyssa gave him a wry look.

"It's the drag-queen wannabe that's the problem," she told him. Niko nodded sadly. She hummed in thought before she stood up. She walked over to the counter, and grabbed two sandwiches on a plate. She sat back down at the table. She put the plate on the table, and stared at it. Syrus watched her with a worried expression.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked. Niko shrugged. Alyssa blinked. She put her hand on Niko's forehead. She frowned in thought. She gasped, and pulled her hand away. Niko merely watched her.

"Are you dying?" Alyssa whispered. Niko scowled and shook her head. "What did Crowler do to you?" Niko lifted her shoulders again, and let them fall with a sigh. She folded her arms on the table, and rested her chin on the, grinning like a fool.

"You didn't eat any sugar recently, did you?" Chumley questioned. Niko shook her head again, still grinning. Syrus tilted his head.

"She looks like Atticus after a date," he said thoughtfully. Jaden leaned in, and studied Niko's face.

"Hey, you're right!" he said. Niko looked at him, studying his face like he'd studied hers.

"When was the last time you dueled? A week ago?" she wondered out loud. Jaden straightened his back defensively, and put his hands on his hips. He glared at her.

"I dueled Syrus yesterday!" Niko nodded slowly, and closed her eyes. Alyssa poked her. Niko opened an eye.

"What else did you do today?" Alyssa asked. Niko sat up. She grabbed a sandwich off her plate and took a bite. She chewed thoughtfully.

"I dueled," she said. They waited. "Zane."

"What!?!" Syrus stood up so fast his chair flew out behind him. Niko smiled lazily. Chumley held his sandwich out to her.

"You should eat, Niko. A licious sandwich will totally calm you down," he said. Niko waved her sandwich in the air, and took another bite to emphasize her point. She smiled at Jaden, who smiled too. Her smiled faltered a bit.

"What?" she asked. He continued to smile, crossing his arms. He turned to Chumley and then to Syrus, who still looked shocked.

"She looks plenty calm to me," he stated. He looked at Syrus again, and laughed when he saw his face. Niko smiled again.

"I'm not emotionally damaged, if that's what you're thinking," she said to him. He blinked, wondering if she could read minds.

Did you beat him?" Alyssa asked out of curiosity. Niko shook her head. She motioned for Alyssa to lean in. She leaned in as well, and whispered to Alyssa. Alyssa's eyes widened.

"I'll kick his ass! That's harassme-" Niko cut her off, and leaned in again. Alyssa smiled slowly. She looked at her food, then Niko.

"Did you lose on purpose?" she asked. Niko glared. Alyssa snickered. Niko put her sandwich down and pulled out her deck. She looked at her cards one by one, tapping her fingers on them as she did. Chumley raised his eyebrows.

"Well, what happened?" Niko looked up at him for a moment, before shifting her gaze back to her cards. She shook her head, and clucked her tongue. Jaden frowned. Syrus looked even more worried.

"What did Zane do?" he asked tentatively. Niko just smiled even more. Jaden scowled, and crossed his arms in a childish way.

"Why won't you tell us?" he asked in a whiny voice. Niko shrugged. Alyssa looked at her, almost pleadingly.

"We can tell them, can't we?" she asked. Niko sighed. She nodded, but held up a hand.

"Tell Syrus first. Zane's his brother, he should know first," she explained. Alyssa nodded eagerly. Blushing slightly, she leaned in and whispered to Syrus. His eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Big bro did that?" he questioned. Niko rested her chin in her hands, her elbows on the table, and looked at the ceiling. Jaden impatiently bounced up and down in his chair.

"Tell us!!" Alyssa looked at Niko and gestured to Jaden with her hand. Niko shook her head. Jaden's face fell.

"You tell them," she said curtly. Jaden perked up again. Alyssa turned towards him and Chumley. She smiled.

"Zane kissed her. On the lips." Jaden's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Chumley swallowed a little too quickly, and started coughing. Niko stood silently, walked over, and slapped Chumley on the back. He coughed once, and took a deep breath. Niko sat back down again. Chumley nodded to her in thanks.

"Did you punch him?" Jaden asked curiously. Niko rolled her eyes and shook her head. Jaden pulled out his PDA. Niko narrowed her eyes. She reached across the table, and took it away. Jaden protested, but Syrus laughed.

"You're not telling Atticus," Niko said firmly. Her eyes were focused on Jaden. He squirmed slightly under her gaze. "If Zane wants him to know, we'll tell him." Alyssa's PDA rang. She pulled it out and looked at it.

"It's a text." She flipped it open and read. She giggled. She showed it to Syrus. He started to laugh. Jaden and Chumley chuckled too. Niko grabbed Alyssa's hand, and carefully turned it so she could see the screen.

"He took a photo!?!" she screeched. She stood up, and grabbed her sandwich. She took a bite, and chewed. She swallowed, and took a deep breath. She looked at the middle of the table, focusing on something she couldn't kill. She looked at Alyssa, her eyes wide and staring. They'd changed from their rich violet to a dark, forest green.

"I'll kill Atticus," Niko said quietly. She took another bite of her sandwich. "I'm gonna go get the bat," she stated. She grabbed her bag, and walked out of the cafeteria.

"I'll help!" Alyssa shouted eagerly, and ran after her. Syrus sighed. Chumley shook his head, and Jaden looked confused. They stood, and followed behind.

* * *

"Hey, Zane!" Atticus called out as he walked up to Zane, who sat on a couch. Zane didn't look up from his book, but continued reading.

"Zane!" Atticus yelled again. The librarian shushed him. Atticus frowned at her for a moment, but smirked when he stood in front of Zane. He sat down next to Zane, and put his arm around his shoulder.

"My friend, you are quite the lady's man," he said smugly. Zane twitched, and finally looked up from his book. Atticus grinned at his expression.

"What? You didn't think I'd find out?" Zane closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Atticus studied his face.

"Hey," he stopped joking, and suddenly became serious. Zane opened his eyes again, watching Atticus. "Is she a good kisser?" Zane glared. Atticus shrugged.

"Fine. Don't tell me." He leaned back and sighed. They sat quietly together, Zane reading his book again. Atticus sat up again, unable to contain himself.

"Seriously dude, I am impressed!" The librarian shot him a warning glare. Zane watched her and Atticus, before turning back to his book.

"If she kicks you out, I'm not stopping her," he pointed out. Atticus shrugged. They both looked up when they heard someone running toward them. Syrus stood in front of them, his hands on his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"Atticus...need, to...run..." His words came out in short gasps. Atticus' eyes widened.

"Why?" Syrus stood up, and looked at him seriously.

"Niko's going to kill you," he said truthfully. Atticus grinned, and smiled.

"She couldn't hurt me, Syrus!" He slapped his knee as he laughed. Syrus didn't blink.

"She's serious, Atticus. She's got her bat, and she's looking for you. She saw the text message," he explained. Zane sat up. He closed his book, and turned to face Atticus.

"What text message?" His voice had an edge to it that Atticus immediately recognized. He turned nervously and smiled sheepishly at Zane. He chuckled lightly.

"Just a text with a joke in it," he lied. Zane glared. All three turned when they heard yelling and whooping outside. The librarian slammed her pencil on her desk, and stood.

"I've had it with noisy students and their, their..." She couldn't seem to find the word she was looking for. Atticus raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"Noise?" he finished. She gave him a sour, yet slightly grateful look. She nodded.

"Yes. Noisy students and their noise!" She was about to stomp outside, when Niko walked into the room. Jaden and Chumley ran up to her, and held her back. She glared at Atticus. Atticus jumped from his seat to the back of the couch.

"I didn't mean it!" he yelped. Niko blinked, but continued to glare. Atticus gulped twice, and held a hand out in front of him. Zane rolled his eyes and continued with his book.

"Alright!! I meant it, but I didn't think you'd find out!" Atticus admitted. Syrus stared at him.

"That really helped," he deadpanned. Niko leaned forward and walked towards Atticus again, managing to drag Jaden and Chumley along as she did. Zane sighed and closed his book, and put it down. He stood and walked up to Niko. Niko looked at him, startled. Jaden studied her face.

"You didn't see he was there?" Jaden asked. Niko hung her head. Jaden and Chumley let go of her, laughing lightly. Zane chuckled as he looked at her face. Niko looked up at him, blushing. She tucked the bat behind her back.

Zane whispered in her ear, turning Niko's face from a faint pink to a full-blown scarlet. Atticus, forgetting that his life was in danger, jumped down from the couch, and snapped a picture of the two. Niko narrowed her eyes, now a harsh charcoal gray.

"Atticus..." Niko spoke through clenched teeth, aware they were in a library. Zane walked in between the two. Atticus teared up, and smiled.

"He does care about me! We really are friends!" he shouted when he saw Zane trying to protect him. Alyssa walked up to Jaden, adjusting the batting gloves on her hands.

"So did anything happen yet?" she asked Jaden. He shook his head. She smirked., and walked up to Niko. Niko turned, and looked at her. They exchanged grins. Niko handed Alyssa the bat. Atticus stopped smiling, and looked at Alyssa.

"What are you doing? It's not like a took a picture of you kissing Syrus or anything!" Syrus reddened, and Jaden poked him in the side. Syrus smacked his hand away. Zane glared at Atticus.

"You took a picture of us?" he gestured to Niko and himself. Atticus grinned and nodded. Alyssa walked up to him, and smiled too.

"I'm glad you took the pictures, but Niko knew Zane wouldn't let her hurt you, and I need the batting practice, so..." she let her sentence trail off, and raised her bat.

Atticus, being the noble warrior that he was, screamed like a girl and sprinted for the door. Alyssa grinned, and chased after.

"Come on, Atticus! I'll be careful where I aim!" she yelled after him. Syrus grinned. Niko looked at Zane for a minute, before giving him a quick hug. Zane stiffened, and Niko pulled away. He looked at her with a funny look on his face.

"What was that for?" Niko shrugged, and looked at the clock on the wall.

"Oh no! Crowler's gonna kill me! I was supposed to be in detention 15 minutes ago!" she gave Zane another quick hug, and waved bye to Syrus, Jaden, and Chumley. They followed as she ran out of the library.

"See you later Alyssa! Have fun, Atty!" Atticus, who had been running for dear life, stopped to glare at the running Niko, only to be tackled to the ground by Alyssa. Zane looked after Niko, and turned to Syrus, who was watching Atticus trying to defend himself, yelling something about Super Atty winning against all odds.

"Hey Syrus, what does she have detention for?"

* * *

Thanks for reading, and please review!

Jaden: You sure like reviews.

Me: Yep! ^^

Zane: Such a wierdo.

Me: ...And you're a wierdo for hanging out with us. Thanks again for reading!


	8. The Class

Hello again! ^^ *notices glares* Uh oh. Sorry about not updating this story in forever...I think the last time I updated this story was back in November. Ugh...

Anyway, for those who are still reading this story, thanks for being patient.

Zane: There's a term for putting stuff off, you know.

Syrus: -.-00 If you piss her off, Zane, she might write you out of the story.

Me: :D He's right, you know.

Reviews are greatly appreciated...constructive criticism is helpful. If you think someone is out of character, don't be afraid to say so. Alyssa, if you don't like your character, just let me know.

Enjoy!

* * *

"HA!! I have three Jacks, I win!" Jaden shouted. Syrus frowned for a minute, a sad look on his face. He looked down at the desk in front of him, and smiled.

"We still have to count our cards, Jay," he pointed out. Jaden nodded. They began to pile up the playing cards, counting how many points each of them had. Niko and Alyssa walked up.

"Hey guys!" Alyssa smiled. She plopped down in the seat next to Syrus, who grinned back at her, then smirked at Jaden. Niko sat next to Alyssa.

"Sorry, Jay, but I have 184 points," he said. Jaden scowled, and looked at his cards.

"How does that work? I finished my hand before you did! Hey, did you subtract the cards from your hand?" Syrus nodded.

"I just got more sets than you did in the end Jay, that's all." Syrus said. Niko smiled, and pulled out her notebook. She frowned, and leaned forward to look at Syrus.

"Hey, Syrus. Can I borrow a pen?" Syrus nodded and pulled a pen from his pocket. Niko smiled in thanks. Alyssa studied her for a moment.

"What happened to the pen and pencil I lent you?" she asked. Niko shrugged, looked down at her notebook, and continued writing. Jaden tilted his head in thought as Syrus put away the playing cards.

"What are you always writing about, Niko?" he wondered out loud. Niko shrugged. Crowler stormed into the classroom. Niko looked up, and opened her notebook to a new page. Alyssa pulled out her notebook, while Syrus and Jaden did the same.

Crowler walked down the aisle nearest them, but kept his head high, and not looking at any of the students. Niko's back stiffened, and she sat straighter in her chair. Crowler sat his books on his desk and turned to face the class.

"All right class. Today we will have a lecture, followed by a worksheet that needs to be filled out by the end of the class period. Any questions?" He directed his view towards the Slifer section, his mouth twisting in a sadistic smirk.

Many of the Slifers, including Syrus, slumped in their chairs, much to Crowler's amusement. He turned away from the class, and walked to the chalkboard behind him. Niko reached behind Alyssa, and poked Syrus in the ribs. He shot up in his chair, and looked at Alyssa, who pointed at Niko. He glared. Niko smiled angelically.

"Now, class...what were the three main cards that Yugi Moto was most famous for?" Many students raised their hands; most of them were in the Obelisk Blue section. Crowler called on a girl with short brown hair.

"Yes, do you know the answer?" Crowler asked. He scoffed, and looked at his nails. "Well, of course you do. You're an Obelisk. Now, what is the answer?" The girl sat straighter in her chair, appreciating Crowler's comment.

"The three cards he was most famous for were the three god cards, Obelisk the Tormentor, The Winged Dragon of Ra, and..." she paused, and wrinkled her nose. "_Slifer the Sky Dragon_," she said with disdain. Niko's scowl, which had been on her face ever since class started, deepened. She raised her hand defiantly. Crowler glared at her, but called on her anyway.

"Yes, Miss K.? Do you have anything to add?" Alyssa snickered at Niko's 'last' name, but Niko just gave her a dirty look, before redirecting it at Crowler. She stood up at her seat, something the Obelisk girl had failed to do. She looked Crowler in the eye, and watched as he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, startled by her boldness.

"While the god cards were what he was known for in his later career, the cards Yugi Moto used more often were Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and Summoned Skull. However, his favorite card, until Weevil Underwood destroyed it, was the Exodia series," she said calmly. The Obelisk girl glared at her, turned to mutter something to the student next to her. Crowler was stunned. He recovered, much to the Slifer students' disappointment. He narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know that it was Weevil Underwood who destroyed the cards? Weevil Underwood is a very distinguished duelist," he said. Niko blinked. She wiped all emotion from her face.

"Hey, Zane, Niko's showing Crowler up!" Atticus whispered loudly. Zane looked up from his writing to see that Atticus was right. He watched as she stood with her back stiff, and her arms pressed to her sides. He chuckled to himself, making sure that Atticus didn't hear him.

"Answer the question, Miss K.," Crowler repeated icily. Niko looked at him blankly, before smiling cheekily. She knew the smile would irk him.

"I read it in a newspaper column, that's all," she said. Crowler glared, knowing that it wasn't the real answer. He huffed, and gestured to Niko with a wave of his hand.

"I see. You can take your seat again, Miss K.," he said dismissively. Niko was about to say something, but clenched her jaw and sat down. Crowler turned around with a flourish. Alyssa gave Niko a questioning look, but Niko only looked at her before nodding toward the girl in the Obelisk section.

The girl was looking at Jaden and Syrus, and twirling her hair absent-mindedly. She made a face at Niko and Alyssa. When she saw that Jaden and Syrus weren't looking, she turned to look to her left. Alyssa smirked, and turned to Niko.

"Guess who she's looking at now?" she whispered. Niko looked at her, confused.

"Who?" she whispered back. Crowler, who had been writing another boring historical fact that was of no use at all to anyone in the classroom, looked over at his shoulder at them. He paused, before turning again to write. He never stopped talking, of course.

Alyssa picked up her pencil, and wrote on the corner of her paper.

_She's looking at Zane and Atticus. Think she's a friend of Mindy or Jasmine?_

Reading the last part, Niko choked on her laugh, then began to cough. Crowler turned to look at her, and strode to where they were sitting.

"Find something amusing, Miss K.?" Niko shook her head frantically, trying to stifle her cough with her hand. Alyssa nudged Niko's water bottle toward her, who grabbed it gratefully. Crowler watched them for a moment, and walked back to the board.

Atticus tapped Zane's arm with his pencil. Zane looked up from his notes, but didn't turn to look at him. Atticus knew he had his attention. He wrote on his paper, not really caring that he wasn't taking any notes.

_That Obelisk girl who answered the question earlier is checking us out._

Zane quickly read the note, and rolled his eyes. He didn't really care that some girl was checking him out, at least not some girl in the Obelisk section.

* * *

"All right class, we will have a small break, and then work on our worksheets," Crowler announced. Niko and Alyssa simultaneously rested their heads on their notebooks. Jaden laughed out loud.

"What's wrong with you guys?" he asked. Syrus poked Alyssa in the arm. She groaned. Syrus inched away from her. Niko barely lifted her head from her book.

"So...boring," she moaned. She sat up again, and rubbed her eyes. "I didn't think it was possible for someone to make dueling so tedious." Jaden frowned.

"What does tedious mean?" Niko shook her head, and gestured to the board.

"Tedious is just another word for boring," she said. She turned to look at the board again, and grimaced. "Or in this case, it means that it will put you to sleep." Jaden's eyes widened.

"So it's not my fault I fall asleep in class!" he shouted, earning a couple of frowns from the Obelisks behind them. Alyssa laughed, and covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing more. Her eyes showed her amusement, though.

Niko nodded in agreement, and rested her head on her arms. She turned to look at the aisle between the rows of seats. She sat up when she saw the Obelisk girl walking down the steps to Crowler's desk.

The girl began to talk with Crowler, both of them nodding and laughing in agreement from time to time. Niko nudged Alyssa gently, and jerked her head in the girl's direction. Alyssa nudged Syrus, who in turn nudged Jaden. To break the tedium, the four of them watched the Obelisk chat about something they all deemed probably unimportant.

"Watching someone?" Niko jumped and let out a small squeak. She turned and saw Zane, who stood next to her with his arms crossed. Atticus sat on the corner of the desk near Niko, looking at a doodle of Card Ejector on the corner of a page in Niko's notebook. He smiled to himself.

"That Obelisk girl you showed up was checking us out earlier," he said smugly. Niko pulled her notebook away and snapped it shut. Atticus smiled when he saw the frown on her face.

"I take it you noticed?" he asked with feigned innocence. Niko's frown faltered. She looked at Zane out of the corner of her eye, but smiled when she looked back at Atticus. She drummed her fingertips on the edge of the desk once, twice, three times.

"Actually, she checked out Syrus and Jaden first." Atticus looked dismayed. Niko tilted her head playfully. She looked at Zane teasingly. "Sorry to burst your bubble," she said. Zane looked away. Niko placed her hand on his arm in a quick, affectionate gesture. He looked at her again.

"If it would cheer you up, I can stare at you mindlessly," she said, and smiled, before looking back at her papers.

"What are the four of you doing?!" The four Slifer students winced simultaneously, and looked up to see Crowler marching up to where they were sitting. He stopped directly in front of them and put his hands on his hips dramatically.

"What are the four of you doing talking to two of our most elite students? You're probably lowering their IQ as we speak!" The Obelisk girl stood behind him, snickering under her breath. Niko looked from Crowler to her. She took a breath in, and let it back out. She looked deathly calm.

"They came over to talk to us," Niko explained, "so any IQ points they lose is lost by their choice." Atticus smiled, but Zane remained noncommittal. Crowler sputtered a bit, but gathered himself. He looked at Zane and Atticus.

"Is this true?" was all he could say. Atticus twisted his mouth to keep from laughing. He nodded. Crowler blinked and walked back to his desk. The Obelisk girl glared at Niko and Alyssa again, but smiled at Atticus, Zane, Syrus, and Jaden, before flouncing back to her seat.

"Attention class! It's time to start the worksheet!" Atticus walked back to his seat, smiling, turning to wave at them as he did. Zane nodded to them. He looked at Syrus for a moment, then at Niko. He turned to walk back to his own seat.

"The sheets are being passed around. As soon as you have one, I want you to begin working," Crowler explained. "You have until the end of the class period to finish." He walked to each seat in the front row, and slapped down a pile of papers in front of the first student. That student took a paper, then passed the remaining sheets to the student behind them.

Jaden groaned, but Syrus smiled. Alyssa and Niko shrugged. They each took a worksheet and began to work. Jaden scratched his head.

"Hey, what's the Flip Effect of Fire Sorcerer?" Jaden asked. Syrus frowned in thought, and Alyssa turned to Niko. Niko didn't look up.

"It's a Spellcaster. I know you know the answer," Alyssa said in a whisper. Niko didn't look up, but looked further down on her paper to see the question. She shook her head.

"Fire Sorcerer's Flip Effect is that you randomly select two cards from your hand," she said, as everyone else wrote down the answer, "and remove them from play to inflict 800 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points," she recited quietly. Syrus blinked, and looked at what he'd written.

"That's the Effect, word for word," he muttered. He looked back up at her. "How do you remember all of that?" he whispered, bewildered. Niko shrugged, and finally looked up from her paper when she answered him.

"My father is a bit of a card fanatic," she deadpanned.(1) She turned back to her paper. She frowned. "But I can never remember the Equip Card designed just for Bubbleman that increases his attack," she said. She shifted her gaze to Jaden. "Could you tell me what it is?" she asked. Jaden smiled impishly.

"It's called Bubbleshot," he said softly. Niko smiled a "Thank you," and wrote the answer on her paper. They all looked down at their papers, and back at each other.

"Is that it?" Alyssa asked. Syrus chuckled nervously. Jaden nodded, and Niko stood up. She nodded toward Crowler's desk.

"Come on. Let's turn them in now, before Jay turns them into paper airplanes." Jaden tried to look innocent, but failed miserably.

"Hey! I only did that once!" he defended himself in a loud whisper. They walked down to Crowler's desk as a group, and held their papers out to him. Crowler looked up from his work. Before him was an essay with so many red marks on it that looked like it had been massacred with a chainsaw. Crowler put down his red pen and scowled.

"Why are you turning those in? You shouldn't be done yet," he snapped. Several heads raised in curiosity behind them, but quickly turned their attention back to their work. Jaden smiled his happy-go-lucky smile.

"Well, we finished a little early, and we just thought we could turn it in now, that's all," he said. Crowler glared, and stood. He walked around his desk, and around them. He looked at the rest of the class. He turned back to them, but didn't look at any of them as he spoke.

"But none of the Obelisks finished," he said. "You must have done it wrong," he added as an afterthought. Niko's hand twitched.

"Just because we're in the Slifer dorm doesn't mean that we're stupid," she said calmly, and forced a smile. Crowler glared, and crossed his arms. More students looked up from their papers to see what the problem was.

Niko placed her paper on Crowler's desk gently, controlling herself. She turned to look at him.

"There's the worksheet," she said. "We turned it in on time. See you next class period." She gave him a shining grin to annoy him a little more, and walked back to her seat.

"Just where do you think you're going?" he said. Niko pointed at the clock behind Crowler's desk.

"Class is already over," she said clearly. Crowler turned to look at the clock.

"Class is over when the bell rings!" he countered lamely.

The bell rang.

"Bye, teach," Niko said, and walked up the aisle to the door. Alyssa, Syrus, and Jaden had already turned in their worksheets, and had their things together. They walked out after her.

* * *

"Hey, Niko! Wait up!" Alyssa called after Niko, who had walked swiftly all the way to the Slifer dorm without stopping. The rest were grateful they didn't have any other classes after Crowler's today. Niko stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the second floor of the dorms. She took a deep breath.

Syrus and Jaden smiled at her nervously. Niko smiled at them, but frowned again. She threw herself onto the bottom step, and rested her chin her hands as she scowled. Alyssa looked at her knowingly.

"You should take a walk, Niko. It'll clear your head," she said. Niko nodded. She stood, and turned to walk up the stairs. She deposited her books in her room, and walked back down the stairs, stomping as she did to make herself feel a little better.

"I'll see you guys later." She looked at Syrus, and then Jaden and Alyssa. "Sorry if I scared you guys," she joked. They cracked a smile and watched her leave, before turning to go up the stairs into the dorm.

"I think a walk and a duel will help clear my head, what do you think, Benji?" Niko turned and looked at her shoulder, where the spirit of her favorite purple bird was perched.

"I think that's a great idea, as long as I get to participate," he replied. Niko smirked, and pulled out her deck to study it. She admired the Penguin Card Soldier on top.

"How do you think I'll be able to duel without you, Benji?" she asked. Benji smiled, and looked at himself in Niko's hands.

* * *

Niko looked at the page she was writing on. She could hear Crowler complaining to the Chancellor about what she had said to him. She sat on the bench outside the Chancellor's office. The hall was empty, except for an occasional student walking by. She heard footsteps approach, then stop. She looked up. Zane stood in front of her. She blinked, and smiled.

"Hi Zane," she said cheerfully. There was a particularly loud yell inside the office. Zane turned his head, and looked at the door. His eyes narrowed, and he looked back to Niko. Her smile faltered at the look on his face.

"What is Crowler arguing about with the Chancellor?" he asked evenly. Niko looked back at the door, tapping her pen lightly on her notebook, thinking about her words carefully.

"He was upset about me unofficially dueling an Obelisk, and winning," she said just as evenly. Zane folded his arms across his chest.

"What kind of unofficial duel?" he questioned. She looked at him, and smiled mischievously.

"Neither of us filled out a duel request form," she explained. Zane sighed, and shook his head.

"You know you're not supposed to do that." Niko shrugged, and wrote another sentence in her notebook, her printing elegant as any cursive. Zane glared at her.

"Why do you disrespect him? He hasn't done anything to you except remind you that you're a Slifer," Zane stated. Niko looked up in surprise. Her eyes were a jade green. Her mouth set into a firm line as she bit her tongue. She didn't want to be a smartass. She chose her words with caution. Her eyes were wide and clear. Zane could see an emotion bubbling up on her face. He decided to ignore it for the time being.

"It's not just me. He makes my friends suffer as well," she said simply. "Did you forget that he tried to keep Jaden from dueling you?" Zane's glare fell to the floor before he could catch it.

"What?" he asked, a bit taken aback. Niko shook her head, and looked at the office door as another shrill protest came from Crowler, followed by a much calmer voice, muffled by the door.

"Jaden tried to fill out a duel request form, but Crowler ripped it up." She closed her eyes, and frowned in anger, but kept her voice calm. "He makes up the rules as he goes along," she added. Zane studied her face. He saw more raw emotion there than he had seen before.

"It's true he doesn't like Jaden," he agreed. Niko opened her eyes again. She calmly put her pen and notebook on the bench beside her. She stood up and looked Zane in the eye.

"He's tried to get both Jaden and Syrus expelled," she said. Her voice grew soft. "Syrus is just trying to get through school, and Jaden only wants to be the best duelist he can be, and the same goes for Alyssa." She stopped. "Zane, his bias affects my friends, and affects me too," she stated. Zane looked at her face, a face etched with sorrow, and compassion.

Zane smiled. He put his hand on Niko's shoulder. She looked at it, then shifted her gaze back to his face.

"I still respect him as a duelist and as a teacher," Zane said clearly. Niko kept her face calm, not wanting to anger Zane. "But I can understand where you're coming from, Niko, and I respect your opinion." Niko looked at him in shock, the sorrow gone from her face. "I know you cherish the friends you have," Zane added gently.

Niko had to blink back her tears. She wanted to hug him, but stopped herself. She held out her fist. Zane's smiled widened. He held out his own fist, and bumped it against hers. Niko turned around, and picked up her notebook and pen. She looked at Zane again.

"I can respect your opinion as well, Zane." Then she sat, to await the outcome of Crowler's meeting with the Chancellor. Zane walked away, silently hoping Niko wasn't as in much trouble as Crowler wanted her to be.

* * *

(1) This is an inside joke if anyone gets it...probably for another story...

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review, any comment is greatly appreciated!

Syrus: Yay! Another chapter!

Jaden: She wasn't kidding when she said she hadn't updated in a while...

Atty: T_T Where was I in the story?

Me: *pats him on the back* You'll be in the next chapter!

Zane: Don't be in any hurry...


	9. The Drawing

Hey, everybody! Well...it's been forever and a day since I've been on this site, let alone POSTED anything. Sorry about that. But anyways, here's what I think is the last chapter for Artist's Rendition. It might be a little rushed, but that's because I suck at ending multi-chapter stories (which I'm sure you already know).

Atty: :D She finally got off her butt and wrote!

Me: Yippee...*sarcastic*

Syrus: Not in a very good mood, eh?

Me: Just tired...Oh! I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving, and got to spend time with their family and friends! Anyhoo, enjoy! And reviews are loved!

* * *

"Atticus, stop throwing paper airplanes, and, NIKO AND ALYSSA! What the H E double hockey sticks are you doing?!" Niko and Alyssa turned away from the Slifers sitting behind them, and looked guiltily at their art teacher. He stormed up, and started to grab the various cards and loose bills. Niko and Alyssa reached out in protest, and pulled the pile back towards them.

"You can't just take the pile for yourself!" Alyssa said. Niko nodded in agreement, and signaled to the Slifer boy behind her.

"Yeah. You need to make a contribution before you can win anything,"she explained. The Slifer boy behind her pulled out a clipboard with names scrawled on it. He held it out, along with a pen. Niko took them carefully, like she was holding a baby. She turned to the teacher.

"How much are you putting in?" she asked calmly. The teacher's face went from a light red to a burgundy red. Niko thought of the carpet in her living room, looking at his face.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" the teacher screeched. Niko and Alyssa studied him with worried expressions. Syrus, sitting next to Alyssa, pointed at the clipboard in Niko's hands.

"Simple. They're running a pool," he said.

The teacher, now speechless, looked from the calm faces of the Slifers to the Obelisk section. He ran a hand through his hair. Niko tapped her pen on the desk thoughtfully.

"We're betting on how long Chumley can go without eating a grilled cheese sandwich. If you want in, there's still time," she told him. The teacher examined her face, and saw that she was serious. He sighed, and put a hand over his eyes for a moment. He mumbled something, but no one could make out what he said. He took his hand away from his face.

"How many people are in this?" he asked. Alyssa grinned, and pulled a roll of paper from the pocket of her jacket. She unrolled it and let it spill over the desk and onto the floor. It stopped just before it reached the teacher's feet. He gaped down at it. Alyssa squinted as she looked at the paper.

"I think everyone in the Slifer dorm is in, except Chumley, and the Ra dorm is starting to contribute. Oh, and Dorothy and her employees are in it, too. I think Banner's trying to take the high road this time," she added. The teacher watched as Alyssa rolled the paper back up.

"This time?" he said quietly. He shook his head to clear it, and then looked at the two Slifer girls in front of him. "What's the minimum contribution needed?" he asked. Niko counted off on her fingers.

"Well, Jason put in 160 dollars, but we knew he liked to gamble, especially with that deck of his, but the lowest contribution was 20 dollars, I think," she rambled. The teacher pulled out a few bills from his back pocket.

"Do you take twenties?" he asked. Alyssa nodded, and took the twenty he handed to her. Niko wrote down his name. She lifted her head, and watched him expectantly. He gestured over his shoulder.

"Put me down for two hours," he said. Niko smirked, and wrote down the time next to his name. She smacked Jaden's hand away when he tried to grab the clipboard. Jaden held his hand and whimpered.

"OW! What did you do that for?" he whined. Niko ignored him and continued to read the list on the clipboard. She smiled.

"Having a staff member will help. That way we can't really get in trouble. Nothing too serious, anyway," she said quietly. The teacher had walked to the front of the room again and was waiting for the bell. He let out a sigh of relief as it rang.

"Okay, class is started!" he said cheerfully.

A paper airplane tried futilely to spear him in the ear. The teacher glared at it, picked it up from the floor, and held it up. He turned to look at Atticus, who whistled innocently. Zane ignored Atticus, and opened his notes to a clean page.

"Alright class, it's time to turn in your drawings!" the teacher announced. The class groaned, and the teacher's grin widened. "Yes, that drawing of another student. I hope you all did it..." he trailed off, and glanced at Niko, who glared vehemently. The teacher turned to the rest of the class.

"I'll walk around the classroom and collect the drawings. If you haven't taken them out of your bags, please do so," he finished. Everyone did as they were told, Atticus having the most trouble. A sweat drop rolled down the side of Zane's head as Atticus dug around in his bag.

"What exactly do you keep in there?" he asked. Atticus shrugged and continued to dig. He winced and pulled his hand out quickly. He had a small cut on this end of his index finger. He sighed, sticking his finger in his mouth.

"What did you get that from?" Zane asked. Atticus looked at him and pulled his finger out slowly to examine it.

"Paper cut," he said casually. They both knew it was a lie, but both decided to let it slide. Zane turned back to his notebook and watched the teacher walking around the room. He noticed that the teacher had started in the back row and was moving his way to the front. Zane looked at Atticus out of the corner of his eye.

"Whatever it is, it might not bite you if you fed it regularly," he suggested. Atticus didn't look up, but let out a small cheer as he pulled out his drawing of Syrus.

Here's the drawing of Syrus (remove the spaces, and copy it into the address bar):

Atticus placed his drawing on the desk in front of him, and dropped his bag back to its spot at his feet. Zane could have sworn he heard a growl. Atticus turned back to him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said in his nonchalant manner. Zane closed his eyes and shook his head. He gestured to Atticus' finger with the eraser tip of his pencil.

"Just don't say I didn't warn you if you get rabies from that," he said. Atticus looked skeptical.

"I doubt I'll get rabies from this," he said. Zane raised an eyebrow. Atticus grinned. "I'm up to date on all my shots!" he said cheerfully. Zane looked at him exasperatedly.

"Drawings, please," they heard the teacher say behind them. Zane handed his over and Atticus did the same, but with a much grander gesture. The teacher gave him a knowing look and moved on. Zane turned back to his notes, but felt his skin crawl. He looked up to see Atticus giving him a toothy grin. He raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked simply. Atticus stopped grinning for a moment, only to smirk instead. Zane decided he liked the grin better.

"Oh nothing," Atticus said with a little singsong in his voice. Zane narrowed his eyes. Atticus only talked like that when he had blackmail, or an 'interesting' fact that affected Zane somehow.

"Now I know it's something," Zane said sharply. Had it been blackmail Atticus would have put his hands in his pocket and leaned back in his seat. Atticus, however, continued to doodle in the corner of his notebook. Zane looked at the sorry excuse for a Red Eyes Black Chick.

"You're mutilating that drawing," he said as a sidenote. Atticus glared.

"Hey, I'd like to see your drawing! This is an artist's rendition of a Red Eyes Black Chick," he said defensively. He shifted his eyes to his drawing and pouted. "Realism just isn't my style..." Zane shook his head, trying not to smile at his friend.

"You still haven't told me what you know," he said, redirecting the conversation. Atticus didn't look up, but stuck out his lower lip, continuing to pout.

"Why should I tell you? You've been really mean to me lately," he whined. He studied Zane out of the corner of his eyes. "And besides, why would you want to know who drew you? It's not like you care whether it was a fangirl or anything." Zane took a breath, and managed to keep calm. He knew that Atticus was just trying to get his attention, that was all. But he couldn't let Atticus know it was working.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" said a female voice in front of them. Zane looked up sharply and saw Alyssa standing in front of them. He raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, ignoring her question entirely. Alyssa copied his expression and put her hands in her pockets, casually rocking back and forth on her heels. She had a small grin on her face, but it wasn't large enough to really worry Zane. Besides, he still had Atticus to worry about.

"Well, I just thought I'd come up here and say hi while the teacher was still gathering everyone's drawings," she said cheerfully. Zane moved his focus back to his notes, but realized he didn't have any notes to really look at. Atticus, however, gave her a beaming grin in response to what she said.

"That's sweet of you!" he said. Alyssa's right hand came out of her pocket, and her grin went from a small, gentle one to a rueful smirk. She waited until Zane looked up, curious about the silence between her and Atticus. She held her hand out to Atticus and revealed a twenty dollar bill in her hand.

"Syrus says you won. She actually had the guts to turn it in." Zane frowned slightly, confusion clearly written on his face. He didn't even bother to hide it. Atticus' eyes widened, but he regained control after he thought for a moment.

"Either that or she couldn't stand the idea of a failing grade," he uttered as he took the bill from Alyssa, who pretended to think about what Atticus said.

"It's the last one, more than likely," she agreed. She started to walk back toward her seat, but turned briefly, and held her hand up in goodbye.

"See you guys after class!" she said, ignoring one or two glares from some nameless Obelisks. Zane turned to Atticus and gave him a pointed look. Atticus knew what his question was going to be.

"Syrus and I just had a little bet, that's all," he explained indistinctly. Zane narrowed his eyes automatically.

"It was stupid of me to ask, wasn't it?" he muttered darkly. Atticus looked at Zane briefly, giving him a sheepish grin.

"Hey, you said it, not me."

* * *

Niko slumped against one of the small statues in front of the school, groaning softly. Her left arm was lying on her stomach like a limp rag. Jaden yawned loudly, stretching his arms wide. He turned to spot Niko, and snickered quietly. Niko decided she was too exhausted to shoot him a dirty look. She gestured to Benji, who almost clapped his hands, er, wings in delight.

Benji stood up to his full height, and stared at Jaden, who squirmed. Benji then began to walk toward Jaden his hand on the hilt of his sword. Jaden let out a girlish squeal and lept up to run, only to crash into Atticus and Zane. Syrus shook his head, and Alyssa smirked.

"Now that's funny," Niko stated, earning a harmless glare from Jaden. Niko pushed herself off of the statue, and stood up to stretch again. Syrus looked at her.

"Why have you been stretching so much lately? You're acting like Pharaoh when his catnap was too long," he said. Niko let the air in her lungs exit with a big woosh, but it wasn't a sigh. She shrugged.

"I've been having growth spurts lately, and I haven't been sleeping as well as I'd like," she explained. Two Obelisks walked by and one winked at her and Alyssa.

"I'm sure you'll sleep better if you stay with me," he suggested. He and his friend left before Niko and Alyssa could say anything. Niko raised her hand to give him the old-fashioned bird, but Syrus let out a yelp and grabbed her hand before she could. Niko tried to protest, but was shushed by Alyssa.

"It isn't worth it. I mean, what are you going to do? They're Obelisks," she muttered. Zane and Atticus stared at her. She waved a hand by her face.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean you guys were like that," she said, feigning innocence. Zane closed his eyes. Niko almost laughed at his expression.

"Aww, Zane! Don't be mad. We like it when you talk to us," she cooed. Syrus' eyes widened, as did Atticus'. But Atticus had a grin that began to spread across his entire face. Alyssa coughed to try and hide her laugh, but Jaden turned to Syrus.

"Hey, Syrus, when is that test on equip spells?" he asked. "Next week, right?" Syrus' eyes nearly popped out of his head. He put his hands on either side of his head.

"Next week?! Jay, that test is tomorrow!" he all but yelled. Everyone there turned to look at the two, Zane being more than a little grateful to have the attention switched away from him. Niko and Alyssa shared wary glances, and watched as Syrus started to yank on his hair. Niko wondered idly if he was going to pull some of it out.

"What do you think we've been studying for the past week, Jaden?" Alyssa asked. Niko raised her finger, considering whether or not she should add to this particular conversation. Her gaze turned to Zane, and she dropped her hand. Zane fought the urge to fidget slightly when he saw the look on her face.

"Neh, I bet Zane will help you study, Jaden!" Niko said. Syrus slapped both hands over his mouth to hide his smile and any laughs that might escape. A tiny squeak of amusement leaked out anyway. Zane turned to Syrus and stared at him for a moment before turning back to Niko.

"That's very funny," he said darkly. Niko grinned childishly, and looked more than a little like Atticus for a moment.

"Thank you! But..." she paused, clasped her hands together and, rocking back and forth on her heels. "I was serious!" Syrus, in his poor attempt not to laugh, finally gave in to failure. He fell to his knees, all but sobbing with laughter. Niko could see Crowler fast approaching and knew it was only a matter of time before she and Jaden, and maybe Atty if he worked at it, would be sent to the detention office. She turned her attention back to Zane, who continued to glare at her.

"I'd rather tutor Atticus," he told her. Niko's eyes widened and she faced Atticus, who grinned back at her. He threw an arm around Zane's shoulder.

"I think something could be worked out!" he said brightly. Zane sighed quietly and pinched the bridge of his nose. He opened his eyes after a moment and glanced at Syrus, who was trying to control his laughter, but ended up coughing. Alyssa gave him a couple of pats on the back, which seemed to help.

"What exactly are you doing to bother my Academy's top student?!" Everyone turned at the sound of the shrill screech. Niko narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. She stood up to her full height, getting rid of the regular slouch in her back.

"Whose school?" she asked. Crowler stopped. Watching his eyes, Niko could see he was backtracking as quickly as he could. He stuttered as he came up with something to say.

"I don't know what you think you heard, Slifer," he spat, satisfied with his reply. Zane raised eyebrow, studying the tense atmosphere between the student and the teacher, but said nothing. Crowler turned to him, and gave him a worried look.

"Zane, I'm sorry you had to deal with these Slifers. I'll get rid of them immediately," he said. Niko and Alyssa exchanged glances. Alyssa put her hands in her pockets.

"What are you, his butler?" she quipped quiety. Crowler turned to her, but Atticus jumped in. Not literally. Zane might have objected to that.

"We were all just talking and joking," Atticus elaborated. "I made a bad joke and Zane didn't really like it. That's all," he said quickly. Niko looked at him, and mouthed 'thank you.' Syrus let out a sigh of relief. He tugged on Alyssa's sleeve. She nodded to him, and pulled Jaden toward the rest of them.

"Sorry, but we have to go study, and Banner wanted us to fix up some things around the Slifer dorm!" Syrus said frantically. He ran off toward the dorm, followed by Alyssa and Niko, who was pushing Jaden along as well. Jaden turned back to look at Zane.

He called over his shoulder, "So, would next Tuesday work as a study date?"

"Good morning, class!" The door to the classroom slammed loudly behind the art teacher. He dropped his bag on the desk at the front of the classroom. He looked over to the Slifer section and saw Niko sitting next to Jaden. They both had their heads on the desk and Jaden could be heard snoring quietly.

"Class today is mostly going to involve reviewing work, more specifically, the portraits you drew!" the teacher said cheerfully. He saw that Niko and Jaden were still asleep. He frowned. He grabbed a rubber ball from his desk. He studied it, taking in the bright red and dull gray swirls in the material. He took a few steps forward, and bounced it on the floor a couple of times. He looked at Niko and Jaden again. Syrus and Alyssa whispered frantically toward them, trying to wake both of them, knowing what was coming. The had no luck.

The teacher threw the ball squarely between Jaden and Niko, where it hit the desk, and ricocheted off the front of the desk behind them to shoot back at the teacher, who caught it neatly. Niko and Jaden jolted awake, eyes wide and backs stiff as they sat up in their chairs. The teacher grinned.

"Nice of you to join us," he said. Niko turned and stared stupidly at a skid mark on the desk where the ball had hit. It reminded her vaguely of the marks left on a road when a car tries to stop too fast and the tires skid. Jaden reached out and started trying to rub it off the desk. Syrus sent Niko a look.

"You usually don't fall asleep in class," he whispered. Niko shrugged. Alyssa poked Syrus, who turned around quickly to look at her. Alyssa smirked at Niko, who shook her head.

"You didn't ask her what she and Jaden were doing last night," she started. Syrus started to open his mouth, but Jaden reached over quickly to cover it with his hand. Niko narrowed her eyes.

"You make it sound like a love tryst or something!" she whispered accusingly. Alyssa nodded.

"That's right," she said, as if considering the possibility. "You like Zane after all." Niko tried to reach over the desk, but Jaden stopped her by giving her the stiff arm. Niko took a deep breath and sat back down, folding her arms. Syrus slumped in his seat, a weary expression on his face.

"Drama queen," he muttered, grateful Niko didn't hear him. Niko looked ahead and saw the teacher inserting a flash drive into the computer at the front of the room. While the computer was loading he grabbed a remote and turned on the overhead projector that hung from the ceiling. He then tried to pull the projection screen down, but found he couldn't jump high enough. He gestured to Niko, who stood lazily.

She walked to the front of the room while the teacher went back to the computer. He smirked as he looked through the portraits, making sure that the files were in working order.

Niko sighed, and in one smooth motion, reached up with both of her feet firmly on the ground, grabbed the string, and pulled down the screen. She pulled it again slightly to lock it into place. The art teacher nodded approvingly.

"Maybe I'll put in a good word for you the next time you get detention," he said with a mocking smirk. Niko folded her hands behind her head in a casual gesture, walking back to her seat, deciding to ignore him. "Suit yourself," he said after her.

"Hey, Zane, doesn't it suck for you that the teacher decided to show the images alphabetically by first name?" Atticus asked teasingly. He had liked the drawing of him, seeing that the Alyssa had done a rather good job drawing him.

Zane decided to ignore him for the moment, but found himself dreading this stupid drawing thing. It wasn't that he cared; it was that once that everyone saw the drawing of him, then people would talk, and would bother him when he would rather be studying. Atticus seemed to read his mind.

"Don't worry about it, Zane. I've seen the drawing, and it's not like a fangirl drawing or anything. Well, there was the naked chest part..." he said. Zane whirled to give him a sharp look, but Atticus held his hands up in defense. "Kidding, kidding. Would it ease your nerves if you knew who drew it?" he asked.

Zane shrugged. If it was a girl of any kind, then people would start spreading rumors, and that was the last thing he wanted. Atticus tapped him on the shoulder so he'd face him.

"It's Niko," he said. Zane remained expressionless, but Atticus could see the wheels turning in his head. Zane sat back in his chair and folded his arms, deep in contemplation. Atticus smiled brightly.

"I take it you like that?" Atticus asked. Zane shrugged, surprising Atticus.

"Heh, you couldn't wait to get out of that class, could you, Niko?" Jaden ribbed. Niko shifted the strap of her book bag higher up on her shoulder and tried to ignore him. "Atticus texted me and said we all should meet him out by the entrance of the school. He said something about fried shrimp," Jaden added, drooling a little at the thought. Alyssa laughed, and Syrus chuckled. Alyssa held a finger up in the air, making a point.

"Wherever Atty is Zane is sure to be dragged along," she said. Niko giggled despite herself.

"Hey, there they are! The Stellar Slifers!" they heard someone shout. Syrus raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't the phrase 'Stellar Slifer' an oxymoron?" he asked. Niko walked up and high-fived Atticus, much to his amusement.

"Someone's in a good mood!" he joked. Niko groaned and began fumbling for her iPod, which was buried somewhere in her book bag.

"I'm just glad to have that beast of an assignment over with. I'd rather have listed every single Trap Card in creation than do that assignment again," she grumbled. The corners of Zane's mouth twitched slightly as he listened to the conversation between two of his friends.

"Hey, Atty! You said something about fried shrimp!" Jaden shouted loudly. Atticus whipped around, his hair continuing the motion when he stopped moving. His eyes shifted back and forth nervously, and he seemed to be struggling with an answer.

"No I didn't! You must have imagined it!" he shot back. Jaden stepped closer to Atticus.

"I want fried shrimp! Duel me for it!" he demanded. Atticus stood his ground for a moment, before taking off down the steps of the school. "Get back here!" Jaden yelled.

"NEVER!" Atticus screamed back. Syrus and Alyssa followed quickly, leaving Niko and Zane behind. Both were more than a little dumbfounded at what had just happened. Zane shifted his weight from one foot to the other before turning to Niko.

"I saw your drawing," he said. Niko looked at him carefully, then shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing.

"I was sure you would. It's not like you can miss it when it's plastered across the entire length of a wall," she said. Zane smiled, but quickly hid it, trying to appear serious. He looked down before looking back at Niko. She was confused by his hesitance.

"I liked it," he finished. Niko paused. He liked it? She felt a smile spreading across her face, and Zane saw it in to her eyes. He decided he liked it when she smiled.

* * *

So, there you go! Sappy, crappy, and lame just about sums up the ending, I suppose.

Thank you so much to all the people who faved and watched! (I'm making it sound like this is the last story I'll ever write...which isn't true by the way.)

Keep an eye out for my other stories, and the new ones in the future!

Zane: You're a very corny person aren't you?

Me: ...maybe. So what?

Syrus: :) He likes to point out the obvious. It makes him feel smart.


End file.
